


Angels In Australia

by EJDaniels



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 23:31:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 58,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1204582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EJDaniels/pseuds/EJDaniels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A decade has passed since the brightest witch of her age left England to search for her parents. Now employed by the Australian Ministry of Magic, Inspector Granger heads a special group of witches and wizards whose call sign is TASS – Tactical Assault Surveillance and Suppression.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Hermione frowned at the ringing telephone on her desk. It wasn't the technology that bothered her but rather the interruption it represented. Over the course of the last eight years, since she had come to work for the Australian Ministry of Magic, Sydney branch, she had come to rely on technology just as she had as a child back in England. Australia, along with many other countries had learned to merge technology and magic so that they worked hand in hand rather than against each other. It was also infinitely easier to give a person a ring than to have to travel to where they were to speak with them. The amount of time saved was incalculable, not that she hadn't tried a few times to calculate it before giving up.

"Granger," the brunette stated as she lifted the receiver and placed it to her ear, holding it in place with her shoulder as she continued to work. She couldn't help but smirk at answering her phone with her last name. _It's not like someone else is going to answer the phone in my office_ , she thought with a bemused smile as she eyed the report on her desk in front of her.

"I need you in my office at nine o`clock," a rough older man's voice said in a no nonsense tone. Chief Inspector Edward Barns was always all business and this was no exception. There was a running pool within the TASS where she worked that if the Chief were caught off work and given a few drinks that he would be a wild man. Hermione was one of the few that bet against that notion. Having witnessed war and death first hand, she could well recognize the deep emotional and psychological scars in another as she bore them as well. Like knew like.

Hermione glanced at her watch and saw that it was two minutes till nine. "Can it wait Chief?" she asked, glancing down at the half finished report in front of her and the stack of a dozen others awaiting her attention that sat to one side of her desk. "I'm right in the middle of something."

"Sure, it can wait," her boss said in a gentle tone that told her it was anything but alright. "It can wait till after you get your arse over here to my office!" the man growled through the phone.

"Be there in a minute, Chief," Hermione replied, waiting till she hung up the phone before letting out the irritated sigh that she had been holding in. "Looks like it's going to be one of those days," she mumbled aloud. It took less than a minute to walk down the hall, up a flight of stairs and down another hall before tapping on the milky glass inset into the wooden door of the Chief Inspector's office.

"You wanted to see me, Chief?" Hermione said as she entered the office after hearing her boss' bark to enter. "I hope this is bloody important. I have pile of files needing attention back in my office and they're not going to review themselves," she stated as she took an empty seat, sitting in it without waiting to be told.

"The PM of M asked for you specifically. Seems there are some foreigners coming in that are after the same lot we are," he informed her without even looking up from the file on his desk till he finished reviewing it before sliding it across to her so that she could read it as well.

"Where are they from?" Hermione enquired, accepting the folder and opening it right away to begin reading the concise brief. "Magical Investigation Bureau," she said with a low whistle as she read the answer to her own question before her boss could reply.

"MIB is sending a couple of their agents over," Chief Barns confirmed, as he leaned back in his chair and watched her read over the briefing in the folder. "We're to extend any and all assistance to them if it is within our means to do so."

Hermione glanced up at her boss, "That almost sounds as if they are running the show and we're merely tagging along."

Edward Barns sighed heavily, knowing she was not going to like this one bit. "That's probably because that's exactly what it is. If they want coffee we go fetch it for them. It's their show and we're along for the ride."

"Like bloody hell we are!" the irate witch exclaimed, jumping to her feet and slamming the file down upon the desktop before her. "You know how long we've been working this case, gathering evidence and getting ready to nail these bastards! You saw what they did to those kids! Everyone in the TASS wants a piece of their arses!"

"I know, I know, Granger," Ed said, raising his hands in an attempt to calm her down. "It's out of our hands. The PM of M has agreed to it. Something about inter-agency cooperation between us and the States crap," the Chief Inspector spat out as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. "Apparently they've been after the SAS longer than we have been."

Any further discussion was halted by a knock at the door. When called, an intern stuck her head in the door and informed the Chief Inspector that there were two men to see him. With a sharp warning glance towards the witch across from him to behave herself, he told the intern to show them in.

Two men dressed in dark brown suits and wearing black sunglasses, even though they were indoors, stepped into the room. The first one appeared to be in his mid-thirties. Dark hair and average non-descript features. The second man she placed at her own age, if not younger, with a square jaw and looks that some women would find attractive. Other than the latter of the two having light brown hair there was really not much difference between the two of them.

"Welcome gentlemen," Chief Barns said as he stood and walked around the desk to greet the visitors. "I'm Chief Inspector Barns and this is Inspector Granger head of TASS, Tactical Assault Surveillance and Suppression."

"This is Agent Will," the older of the two said with a gesture towards his partner, "and I'm agent Smith."

Hermione couldn't suppress the snort of amusement before it escaped her. Seeing all eyes in the office suddenly focused on her she felt the need to defend herself. "Oh come on! Agent Will and Smith from MIB? You don't see the humor in that?"

"No Ma`am," Agent Smith replied with an expressionless face. "We at the MIB do not have a sense of humor as far as we are aware."

"All you need is black suits instead of those brown ones and you'd be dead ringers," Hermione said to the two stone faced agents only to see them glance at each other for a moment before the one known as Smith reached into the inside breast pocket of his suit coat. "So help me it you pull out a Neuralizer I will hex you both all the way back to the States and then some!" the witch exclaimed loudly.

The younger of the two agents suddenly cracked a grin, unable to hold it in any longer. "Enough Michael," he said to his partner. "You've had your fun with them."

Agent Smith withdrew a business card and passed it to the startled witch. Hermione read the card, "Michael Smith," she stated aloud before looking to the senior agent.

"At your service, Ma`am," the dark haired agent said with a small smile as he removed his sunglasses and extended a hand which Hermione shook, still slightly confused.

"Don't worry about him Ma`am. He was just having a little fun," agent Will told her as he thrust out his hand. "Daniel Willis," he added with a cheeky grin.

"Willis, not Will?" Hermione asked as she accepted the offered hand and shook it. The witch suddenly had a thought of two red headed twins she had known in her school days back in England. "I suppose you both think this was incredibly witty?" she asked with a smirk as she released the hand in hers.

"Not nearly as so much as the first dozen or so times he did it," Agent Willis offered with a small grin towards his partner.

"Just a way to break the ice a bit, Ma`am," Agent Smith offered. "I know these inter-agency joint operations can be a bit difficult, what with everyone trying to dance around without stepping on anyone's toes in the process."

Chief Barns snorted in agreement. He was law enforcement and didn't have time for the political song and dance that his higher ups always seemed to be engaged in these days. Point him at a bad guy and let him do his job…that was all he asked for. "If you gentlemen will have a seat we can get started."

"Thank you Sir but if it's all the same to you I think we'll stand," Agent Smith replied. "It was a terribly long flight out here and I don't believe that the circulation has fully returned to my legs just yet."

"Suit yourselves," he told them. "Inspector Granger here has been handling the intel gathering on the SAS, so I'll let her take it from here."

"Thanks Chief," Hermione offered before filling in the Agents on the SAS actions. "It was approximately six months ago when we first heard rumor of the 'Shadow Adepts of Sydney' as they call themselves. We're not sure just how long they've been here as Australia is a large country."

"A lot of empty places for the badies to hide," Agent Smith injected.

"Correct," Hermione reluctantly agreed, knowing the truth of the matter. There just was far too much bush and not nearly enough man power to cover it all. While the tribes did a far job of policing their own areas from unwanted magical types, there were places the natives wouldn't go. Australia was her home now and it irked her to no end to be unable to protect it all.

"Their first attack was against a primary school in the heart of the city. It was quick, professional and messy," she told them. "We have little doubt that they were trying to make a statement." There were still nights that she had nightmare about the crime scene. "Two weeks later there was a school bus bombing following two days later by a day care where they poisoned the water supply. In all cases it was non-magicals that were targeted."

"That seems to be their standard means of operation," Agent Willis said in a quiet tone. "Get the masses terrified and afraid to send their children to school. It makes it that much easier when they start to target the non-magical born witches and wizards."

"So the other attacks are just…." The witch allowed her words to trail off, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Smoke screen," Agent Smith confirmed. "Aimed at nothing more than to force parents to keep their children home so that they're easier to get to."

"Bloody hell," Chief Barns breathed in disbelief. "I take it then that you've dealt with them before Agent Smith?"

"They used to call themselves 'Sons of Salem' and operated primarily within the North-eastern states. Their leader, a Trent Davis, is a former Death Eater that served under that Lord Voldemort fellow from England that was taken down about a decade back." Smith paused upon hearing Hermione's gasp at his news. "You know him Inspector?"

Hermione shook her head slightly to indicate that she didn't. "I grew up in England," she explained. "I was there during the war and all."

Smith simply nodded. "I thought your accent sounded British more than Australian."

"I left there shortly after the war ended," she explained. "Wanted a fresh start far away from that."

"Can't say that I blame you," Smith replied. "England has turned into a right ugly place to be if you're anything other than a pureblood," the man spat out the last word like it was poison. "Reminds me all too much of that crap the Nazis tried to pull back in the 30's and 40's if you ask me. Supremacy, my ass!"

"Preaching to the choir, Agent Smith," Hermione quipped.

"You were saying Agent Smith?" Chief Barns asked in an attempt to pull the discussion back on topic.

"Yes….so this Davis character gathered a few followers and started much as he did here apparently. After a few months of attacking schools we started receiving reports of families being killed in their own homes. At first we just thought it was the usual break-ins gone badly but as the number of them grew we finally looked into them. In each case the children were magical, born to non-magicals," Agent Smith concluded with.

"How many were there," Hermione asked out of curiosity.

"We didn't know at first as some cases were left to the locals to handle while only a handful made it to our office at the national level. The attacks were spread over several states which made it even more difficult to track. Once we were able to dig into it further we discovered that fifty-seven soon to be witches or wizard and their families had been killed.

"Good Lord! So many," Hermione gasped at the number of innocent children murdered.

Agent Smith simply nodded in agreement before continuing. "About a year ago we ran the group to ground and sent in our best but the leader somehow managed to escape or wasn't there when the anti-apparition wards went up. Either way, when we heard of the trouble you were having here, my boss called your Prime Minister of Magic and here we are."

"Who exactly is your boss, Agent Smith," Hermione asked believing she already knew the answer.

"That would be the President of the United States, Ma`am." The Agent replied. "This is a picture of Davis," he added, slipping a still photo of a man from his breast pocket and handing it to the only witch in the room.

"I've seen him," she admitted. "He's currently at one of their safe houses about an hour outside of the city. We pegged him for the leader or at least one of the very higher ups but hadn't a name for him as yet."

"I'm not surprised Inspector," Smith said, making no move to reclaim the photo. "He looks pretty well for a guy who's supposed to be dead, don't you think?" Seeing Hermione's head jerk up and her brow arch in question the MIB agent continued. "It took us nearly six month to track him down and trace him back to England. It was believed that he had died at the Battle of Hogwarts, as it is being called. Some fight that took place at a magical school in Scotland."

"I guess that the rumors of his death have been greatly exaggerated then," Hermione replied with a smirk as she glanced down at the picture once again.

"A fact we hope to correct very soon, Ma`am," Agent Willis offered, speaking for the first time in a while. "We suspect that he has other cells within other countries and would prefer to take him down quick and quiet like."

"You mean you plan to take him into custody not kill him, right?" Hermione asked for clarification.

"You currently know his location and are certain that he is still there, Inspector?" Agent Smith asked, ignoring her question.

The witch nodded slowly in way of answer. "We've had a magical surveillance net over the location. There are been several people who have apparated in but no one has left in the last forty-eight hours," she assured the two agents. "There are about thirty members of their group there and another dozen or so hostages that they've taken for reasons we haven't determined as yet."

Agent Smith turned and looked towards the Chief Inspector. "Chief Inspector Barns, I'm assuming you've been fully briefed on the operation?" The older man simply nodded that he had been. "Then MIB will assume full responsibility for this operation. I will require your people's full cooperation."

Ed Barns could do little but nod in understanding. "Please see that the Agents and their team have all the support we can give them," he told Hermione.

"Ed, we can't do this!" she objected. "The PM of M would never agree to such a thing. They'll kill the hostages for sure!"

"Inspector!" snapped out the witch's boss, bringing her to an abrupt halt. "Just where do you think my orders come from? The PM of M spoke with me directly and left it up to Agent Smith to make the call, which he has. So this department will extend every courtesy to them until such time as they feel they no longer require it!"

"So that's it? You're just going to let them go in there and kill them?" The irate witch turned to glare at the two Americans. "You're just going to waltz in there and capture Davis and those with him?"

"No, Ma`am," Smith replied only to pause and hold up one finger to halt her as he reached up with his other index finger and held it against an ear piece in his left ear. "Understood. Zero one hundred hours," the MIB agent replied to whomever he was listening to in his ear piece.

"I'm sorry for the interruption," the older of the two Agents offered as he turned back to face the waiting witch. "You seem to be under the impression that Agent Willis and myself will be apprehending the fugitive. That's not our responsibility. We're here to insure that none of your people accidently get injured," he informed her.

"Then who?" Hermione asked, a confused expression appearing on her face. "Do you have another team standing by which you'll be bringing in?"

"No, Ma`am, just one more," Smith replied.

"One man to take out an entire group of SAS?" Chief Barns scoffed only to spy Hermione slowly shaking her head from side to side having already reasoned out why only one man would be brought in.

Agent Smith nodded sharply once in answer to the Chief Inspector. "You only need the one when it is Archangel."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Granger!" a blonde head with blue eyes said around the edge of Hermione's office door. "Heard you had some visitors this morning?"

"Hey Jess," Hermione said, looking up and offering a small grin at the blonde bombshell as she motioned her in. "Where've you been all morning?"

Jessica Moore stepped into the office, her long slender legs encased in tight black jeans with a light blue shirt tucked into a narrow waist set above curvy hips. As usual the witch had her blonde hair done in a French braid down her back to keep it out of the way. The TASS member exuded an aura of sexiness that seemed to attract the men of the world like catnip to a kitten. More than once Hermione had pondered the possibility that there may be some Veela ancestry in her friends past. Taking the only free chair in the room, the other covered with files, she got comfortable before stating, "Word has it that you have some new American friends?"

Hermione sighed, setting the report she had been reading down as she knew the inquisitive woman wouldn't leave till she had all the details. "Two Agents from MIB," she confirmed. Hermione and Jessica had joined the agency at the same time and they had risen through the ranks together to be promoted to Inspector on the day, following a distinguished take down of a group of Dark witches. When the opening for the head of TASS came up, Hermione had gotten the position and Jess couldn't have been happier for her. The blonde did not like to be in positions of authority, preferring to be a "working Jack" as she put it.

"Were they wearing black suits?" Jess asked with a grin, having watched the movie _Men In Black_ over at Hermione's apartment one night. The young British witch had an enormous collection of muggle action movies to which she was constantly adding new titles.

"No, brown," Hermione confessed. "Although they did have the sunglasses and emotionless expressions down pat."

Jess tsked in disappointment. "The group down at the hospital were much the same," she said, indicating where she had been that morning. "Tight lipped and straight faced."

"St. Bernadette's? Was one of them hurt?" Hermione asked, not having heard anything from the two Agents while they were here earlier.

"St. Mary's actually and I don't know," the blonde witch replied with a shrug that made her jiggle in all the places most males loved a witch like Jess to jiggle. "They wouldn't let us get close enough to see. Whatever they were doing it seemed to be centered near the children's ward."

Hermione chewed the inside of her lip for a long moment, trying to figure out what they could have possibly wanted at St. Mary's, which was a Muggle hospital. St. Bernadette' was the equivalent of St. Mungo's back in London and was where the majority of Wizarding kind were treated. She knew that there were children from the various attacks currently in residence at St. Mary's, however she couldn't think of why MIB would want to see any of them, being non-magicals.

"So," Jess asked with a cheeky grin, "were either of them cute?"

"How would I know?" Hermione fired back with a creased brow, only half paying attention to her closest friend.

"Oi! You are a young witch are you not?" Jess asked with an arched brow in disbelief. "When's the last time the back of your knees touched your ears, Granger?"

"None of your damn business, Moore," Hermione replied with a bit more venom than she intended at her friend's crude question about the last time she'd gotten laid. The truth was that it had been a good long while, far longer than she cared to recall.

There had been several relationships since she came to Australia, a few even making it to the bedroom. Her first time had been to a fellow cadet while going through training. A night of far too much drinking and not enough thinking. There was a neighbor where she first lived that had been easy on the eyes but had little upstairs. Friends and co-worker were always setting her up on blind dates, or had been till she put a stop to it. Somehow relationships just never seemed to work out for her. There was always something missing in it, something she knew she at least needed. She didn't know what it was exactly, some spark that she just couldn't seem to find. In the end she had concluded that the problem was with her and so had turned her focus on her career instead. It was poor compensation but it helped to keep her mind off the lack of romance in her life.

 _If love falls into my lap then fine, but if it doesn't then I guess I can live with that as well_ , she had told herself. That had been over two years ago and the last thing she needed was a reminder of just how long it had been from a woman rumored to have been with half the law enforcement force be they male or female.

"You can always come and spend the weekend at my flat," the blonde bombshell offered with a soft saucy smile. The young unattached witch flew on both sides of the broomstick. She never had problems finding male companions, often having more offers than she wanted. Jess found those of the same gender though to be much more of a challenge to land as well as far softer to the touch with a more pleasant fragrance. _Girls always make the cutest noise when making love_ , she mused appreciatively.

Hermione snorted in amusement, recalling another time when she had felt more adventurous and had taken the girl up on her offer. It had been an enjoyable weekend, relieving a great amount of stress, but she knew that such things were only a momentary fix for a larger problem. As tempting as the offer was, she knew she had to declined, though the blonde's smile didn't keep Hermione from blushing slightly at the pleasant memories the offer invoked. "As wonderful as that sounds, I'll have to pass on it. There's far too much work to do and not nearly enough time to do it in."

"Something big in the works?" Jess asked, realizing that she had hit upon a sore spot. After all the years the two had been friends, she knew when to push and when to back off a subject. Especially when the topic was her friend's near nonexistent love life. Willing to let the matter lie for now she allowed her friend to return the conversation to matters dealing with work.

Hermione quickly recounted what she had learned at the meeting earlier with MIB. As Jess was a member of TASS and would be in on the operation later that night, there wasn't a reason not to tell her. "If this Davis is there, I think they mean to take him out right then and there before he can escape them again."

Jess gave a low whistle. "You sure about that? I mean I know MIB is known for playing it rough and ready, but to off someone like that on foreign soil is a little over the top even for them, no?"

Hermione nodded once in agreement. "They aren't doing it themselves though. They're bringing their hit wizard, Archangel, to do their dirty work."

"You mean the Magus Venator?" Jess asked in utter disbelief.

"Mage Hunter," Hermione confirmed the Latin words. "I tried to talk the Chief out of letting them do that, but the PM of M had already signed off on it. MIB is in charge of the show and we're here to support them," she added, her tone clearly indicating just how not thrilled she was with the current situation.

"We started hearing rumors of MIB's new killer back when we were in training," Jess said, thinking aloud. "No one seemed to know where he came from, or even if he is a _he_ for that matter. If rumors are true, then Archangel has killed more dark witches and wizard than most other countries combined. There's another name he's known by."

"Angel of Death, I know," Hermione said in a voice that was troubled. "I'm not happy with having a killer like that walking around loose here, Jess, but I can't do anything about it with the PM of M giving MIB permission," Hermione stated in a resigned tone. "Meeting at eighteen-hundred hours tonight, pass the word along to the others will ya?"

"Look on the bright side," Jess said as she bounced to her feet, setting her other assets bouncing as well, "maybe he'll be cute." Seeing the other woman's puzzled expression she continued, "Archangel. Maybe he'll be tall, dark and handsome," she said with an impish grin.

"Doesn't matter," Hermione replied dryly, causing Jess to arch a brow in question. "You can't kill that many people without it doing something to you, and if you feel nothing then how can you hope to have any type of relationship? Someone like him is a killing machine, pure and simple. Like a trained dog, he only knows how to bite."

Hermione sighed heavily as the other woman left her office. _I have to go see Mom and Dad_ , she reminded herself as it was card game night at the Wilkins and she wouldn't be able to make it. Something told her that tonight was going to be anything but a normal operation.

**-oOo-**

"Anyone home?" Hermione called as she let herself in the front door of the small house that she had come to love over the years. She had spent more time here than she had at her own place over the past few years. Her parents were Dental Surgeons with their own practice, and while they could afford a much larger place they preferred the small house calling it _comfortable_.

"Hermione, Dear!" exclaimed Monica Wilkins as she strode into the living room to welcome the witch. "You're early. Wendell isn't home yet I'm afraid. He had a late surgery to perform today."

"That's alright," Hermione replied with a soft smile as she set her purse down upon a chair and crossed to the older woman to exchange hugs and pecks on the cheeks. "How are you feeling?"

Monica waved off the young woman's concerns with a soft smile, touched that Hermione thought enough to ask. "Oh I'm fine. It was nothing more than a touch of the flu the doctor said. I was just making some tea, would you like some?"

"Thanks, Mum, that would be lovely," Hermione said as she followed the older woman into the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast nook that sat before a large bay window looking out over the quiet street in front of the house. "What time is Dad due back?"

Monica smiled, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "I can't tell you how much it pleases Wendell every time you call him that," she said as she busied herself readying the tea service for the two of them. "If Wendell and I had ever had a daughter, we both hope she would have turned out like you, Dear."

 _If you only knew_ , Hermione thought to herself painfully. "Well, you both look after me like I'm your daughter and Lord knows I love you enough for you to be my parents," she said truthfully.

Monica brought the tea over, sliding the tray onto the table top before pausing the gently caress the young witch's brown hair, moving errant strands behind one ear affectionately. "You know we both love you too, Dear," she said as she caressed Hermione's cheek with the back of her fingers gently before taking a seat across from her adopted daughter. "So what brings you over so early?"

Hermione found it hard to swallow past the lump in her throat. The young woman craved her mother's touch and wished there was some way for the older woman to know just how much she and her husband really meant to her. Hermione cleared her throat before replying, "Well we're supposed to play cards tonight."

"I know," Monica said with a wide grin. "Wendell has been looking forward to finally beating you in Bridge since the last time you played!"

Hearing this made Hermione's next words even harder to say. "I know but he's going to have to wait a little while longer, I fear," she told Monica, her voice heavy with regret.

"Oh no, Dear," Monica said is a sad tone. "Work?" she asked only to see the girl across from nod. "Well then I guess it can't be helped. You know of course that Wendell will just say that you're using this as an excuse to avoid a proper trouncing."

Hermione snorted in humor, "As if he could ever beat me!"

"I know, Dear," Monica agreed with a small chuckle. "He's easier to read then one of those cheap romance novels. Just don't tell him I said that," Monica implored as she dropped a hand upon the other girl's where it rested on top of the table between them.

"It will be our secret, Mom," Hermione assured her clasping the older woman's hand in hers and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"So Dear," Monica opened with to change the subject, "anyone special in your life?" she asked nonchalantly; as indifferent to the subject as any mother ever could sound when enquiring into their daughter love life.

"MOM!" Hermione gasped loudly.

"What?" Monica replied, the picture of innocence, "I was just asking. Can't a mother worry about her daughter? I mean I was at the store the other day and there was this nice young man behind the counter…"

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes as she listened to her Mom describe some random man she had seen at the store as being a _Hottie_! _What is it with everyone being so concerned about my love life_?

**-oOo-**

The meeting that evening had been little more than a formality. Agent Smith had relayed the same information to the other members of the TASS unit as he had to Hermione earlier that day. "Our man will go in first, followed shortly by one of our squads," Agent Smith informed them. "At no time are any of you to enter the area till we've given the all clear."

"So we're just supposed to sit this one out and let you lot take all the credit then?" a Deputy Inspector who was fairly new to the group inquired in disbelief.

"We're not here to take any credit for anything," Smith replied coolly. "In fact it would be better if no mention of our actions tonight are ever spoken of outside these walls. Write your reports however you want. Feel free to give yourselves all the credit if you'd like, just so long as you stay out of our way."

"So that's all we're supposed to do?" Jess asked from the back of the room. "Provide you with surveillance…anything else?"

"Sit back and enjoy the show," Agent Willis replied with a warm smile at the curvy blonde.

Several hours later Hermione found herself walking with Agents Smith and Willis. They had parked their vehicles and were proceeding on foot so as not to give themselves away. Other groups had set out earlier, requiring additional time to get into place as they encircled the location. The sky above was clear with a canopy of stars that lit up the surrounding area with enough light to clearly see the uneven ground they traversed. Hermione glanced up and wished she had time to enjoy it as views such as this were few and far between given the neon lights of Sydney.

"I still don't like this," Hermione stated, giving voice not for the first time, to her disagreement with the way the operation was being handled. "You're just going to send Archangel in there all by himself?"

"He prefers to work alone," Smith replied with a knowing grin having had this conversation on more operations, within more countries, than he could clearly recall. It was always the same disbelief and the same argument.

 _So it is a he_ , Hermione thought, filing that piece of information away for later. "Is he as good as the rumors say he is?"

"I've been with him for the last six years and I don't understand how he does half the things he does, Inspector Granger. All I can say is that I'm glad he's on our side because if he ever decided to go Dark I doubt there is any other magical or group of magicals that could take him down," Smith said in that calm assured voice people use when they firmly believed what they are saying.

"If he's as strong as you say he is Agent Smith then I'm surprised your government has allowed him to exist," Hermione stated. "Aren't they afraid that he'll turn on them?" She had heard of more than one hit wizard who had decided that the other side of the law was greener grass. The trouble was that in most cases it was. It was only last year that TASS had to handle such a case.

Smith snorted at her words. "They tried to take him out at first, before he worked for MIB. The higher ups were afraid that he'd go Dark on them and bring the world to its knees."

Hermione wasn't the naive girl she once was and had been working for law enforcement long enough to know how the government could hale you as its defender one day and kill you as the next Dark Lord the next. She'd seen it happen first hand before after all. "What happened?"

"He was living in Miami at the time, apparently had been for several months before they caught wind of him. They hired a group of four hit wizards to go after him. When they didn't return, they hired a larger group," Smith told her. "When that group also failed to return they got scared," he said with a smirk of a smile. "First really smart thing they did. About a week later he showed up in the Oval Office, lounging in the President's chair behind the Resolute Desk as if it was nothing. The White House is the most heavily warded structure in North America," Smith said to clarify. "He waltzed in through everything like it was nothing and no one saw him do it."

"What happened then?" she asked, drawn into the tale despite herself.

Smith shrugged slightly. "Well, after about 15 minutes of panic while half the Secret Service mages in DC whisked the President and his family into a bunker and the other half along with every magical staffer working for the Department of Magic from the Secretary on down surrounded the Oval Office, he said he wanted to work for us just as long as we allowed him to hunt down Dark Wizards. Something had happened at some point in his past that left him with a deep hatred for those who go Dark. Personally I think he lost someone…someone very close to him. I never got the details as the meeting was fairly hush-hush as you can imagine, just the Secretary of Magic and her top aides including the head of MIB, but an agreement was reached apparently. I do know this though, Archangel has his own agenda. He has a list of people he is searching for and when he finds a name on that list it is best to stay out of his way. Trent Davis is one of names on that list."

"Whatever happened to the missing hit wizards that went after him in Miami?" Hermione asked curiously.

"No one has ever seen them since," Smith told her just as they reached their destination. "If you'll excuse me Inspector Granger, I need to see that things are ready."

"Enjoy the walk?" Jess asked from behind Hermione once she was alone. "What's up with tall, dark and unapproachable?" the blonde witch asked as she watched Smith walk over to a group of other MIB agents.

"Professional chatter," Hermione replied turning to face the other woman before relaying what she had learned about Archangel.

Jess let out a low whistle, "A real badass huh?"

"More like a really messed up individual if you ask me," Hermione countered. "Who in their right mind goes asking to hunt Dark witches and wizards?"

"From the sound of it he's uniquely qualified to do it," Jess quipped, only to be glared at by her boss. "I mean given his track record and all."

"I'll just be happy when this is all said and done and we can go back to our usual quiet home grown kind of crime. Speaking of which, any changes at their location or what's going on over there?" the head of TASS enquired.

Jess shook her head after pausing for a moment and leaning her head slightly to one side as if listening to something. "A few more have come in but no one has left as yet. My guess is that there is some big meeting going on probably tomorrow or the next day." The blonde Inspector was magically tied into the surveillance spells and so had nearly instant updates on everything that was happening in the building where the SAS were currently holed up in.

"Let me know if anything changes," Hermione told the blonde witch just as Agent Smith walked back over from the group of MIB agents he had been speaking with.

"We're just about ready," Smith said as Jess stepped away. "Any changes at the location?"

"Some new arrivals," Hermione explained, "but no departures as yet." Looking about in response to a sudden movement from the corner of her eye, the witch saw a figure dressed all in black. Where one second there had been nothing, there was suddenly a person standing there without the usual pop that signified an apparation. "Who the bloody hell is that?" she asked, causing Smith to glance over and suddenly start to swear. Even as they watched, the person started off at a jog towards the place where the SAS members were gathered. The star-light from above sparkled off of something shiny strapped to the persons back that swayed back and forth as he moved.

"Attention all units, pull back. I repeat, pull back! Archangel is armed!" Smith shouted into his communication device. "All units check in when you've reach the extraction points."

"Was that a sword?" Hermione asked in disbelief only to see the MIB agent nod. "Wouldn't his wand be a greater weapon to fear?"

"He doesn't use a wand," Smith replied. "He thinks it's too easy if he does," he added at the look of disbelief on Hermione's face. A shimmering bubble of charcoal colored smoke seemed to spring from no place, cutting them off from the hideout that the SAS were currently residing in. "Damn. Nothing to do now but wait till he's finished," Smith said upon seeing the barrier come into existence. Shortly the Agent excused himself to return to the other group from MIB to issue new orders.

Hermione wasted no time in calling Jess over only to be told that they couldn't see anything through whatever barrier had been thrown up to cover the area. It was a long fifteen minutes before a lone figure, trailing two floating bodies stepped through the barrier. No sooner had all three passed through the magical screen than it vanished. Hermione turned sharply and waited for the blonde witch next to her to report as she watched the man cross the distance to the group from MIB and drop the two bound figures none too gently on the ground.

"It's gone," Jess said in a slightly awed voice.

"What?" Hermione asked only half listening as several vehicles arrived next to the MIB agents. "What's gone?"

"The entire structure. It's like it never existed," Jess clarified. "Everything and everyone in it is just gone."

Inspector Granger fumed, wondering how she was going to explain this to her boss as she marched over towards the man she believed to be Archangel, who was speaking with Smith. "I want answers damn it! What the hell happened in there? There were at least a dozen innocent people in that building!"

As she neared the small group, she noticed Smith glance towards Archangel who gave a slight nearly imperceptible shake of his head. She also noticed that it was, in fact, a sword that was fastened to the man's back, its silver hilt thrusting up just past the man's right shoulder. Without pause she reached out and grasped the man's left shoulder to avoid the sword, unheeding of the fact that it was covered in a wet warmth she would later realize was blood. With a sharp pull she turned MIB's top killer about to face her. "There were innocents in there!"

The hair was the same unruly mass of black strands that she recalled but the face was far older, more worn than it should have been given its twenty-seven years. There was a jagged scar that ran from the hairline directly above his left eye all the way down to his jaw bone, broken only by the black patch that covered the area where his left eye should have been.

The one remaining eye regarded her dispassionately for a long moment before glancing back the way he had come only to return once more, an emerald orb that seemed to shine with a soft inner light all its own. "Not anymore," he said in a whisper of a voice before turning away and slipping into the back seat of a waiting SUV which quickly sped away.

Hermione watched the retreating tail lights of the vehicle, frozen in shock and disbelief. Finally she gave voice to the one thing that kept echoing within her mind, "Harry?"


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm going with you," Hermione told Smith as the next SUV pulled up and the agent made to climb into the back seat.

"Suit yourself, Inspector," Smith replied sliding over to the far side of the rear seat, realizing that the irate witch wasn't going to take no for an answer. The dark haired wizard waited for her to get seated and pull the door closed before speaking again. "Where can we drop you?" Smith enquired as Willis climbed into the passenger side of the front seat and the vehicle started out.

"Wherever he is going to," Hermione replied as she slipped her wand out and cleaned the blood from her hand with a silent _Scourgify_.

"St. Mary's," Smith informed the driver who simply gave a nod to indicate that he had heard.

"Was he hurt that bad?" Hermione asked, not liking the note of concern she heard in her own voice.

"Yes, but he'll be fine by the time we reach the hospital, Inspector," Smith replied. "He's become very adept at repairing himself over the years. By the time we arrive he'll have already taken care of his injuries."

Hermione didn't say anything and just stared out the window as the dark SUV rolled along. _Harry. Harry! Harry? How could that be Harry_ , her mind boggled at the thought. _What happened to you, Harry?_

It had been a decade since she had left England, and she had made it a point to avoid any news concerning her homeland when possible. The first two years away she had focused on her parents and had little time for anything else. The person she had just seen, that had laid waste to a building, killing everyone but two people indiscriminately, was not the Harry she had known all those years ago.

"Is that why?" Hermione asked as she head shot around to look towards Agent Smith. "Was I asked to be in on this operation because we had been friends?"

"You were his friend?" Smith asked with a great deal of surprise in his tone, only to see her nod once. "I guess that explains it," he added thoughtfully turning to look at the headrest before him absently as he processed that piece of information.

"Explains what?" the head of TASS enquired.

"When we initially heard that Davis was in this area and we were outlining the plans to come here, Archangel asked if you were still working here," Smith told her.

"So he asked that I be a part of the assignment then?" Hermione asked.

"No. He merely asked if you were here and when we confirmed it he didn't say anything else the entire meeting. You have to understand that he typically never says anything at any of the meetings," the Agent clarified. "I don't know if the higher ups were more shocked that he knew your name or that he actually spoke. They did some checking and requested that you be included as the direct liaison for the joint operation. When asked if your presence would cause a problem he simply shook his head and then walked out of the room. Personally I think the Bureau thought they were doing him a favor by giving him the opportunity to see a friend. Till then none of us knew he had any friends outside of MIB."

 _Friends? Are we still actually friends? I have no clue what has been happening in Harry's life nor have I made any effort to find out._ As much as it pained her to admit it, she knew that she had not been a friend to the wizard for a long time. _It's not like he's gone out of his way to find me either._ Hermione's brows creased in confusion as she replied, "So he didn't ask that I be a part of this?"

Smith smiled though it held little humor. "Don't take it personally, he never asks for anything. The Bureau has him setup in a high class penthouse apartment in DC. The bars may be gilded but he knows it for the cage that it is. It's just better looking than most with better food and cable television. I'm certain he could leave if he chose to, especially after what he pulled at the White House. I guess he realizes that if he wants to hunt Dark wizards then he has to play by MIB rules."

"They would rather have him on our side than against them so they make certain to take good care of him. They make sure to pay him a very comfortable income as well as living expenses to cover anything he could possibly need. He doesn't lack for anything, though he doesn't ask for anything either. To the best of my knowledge, every cent they've ever paid him is still sitting in the bank account they established for him. When he's home, if you want to call it that, all he does is prepare."

"Prepare?" Hermione found herself asking, intrigued, though not surprised at what she was hearing.

"For the next mission, the next assignment. The next chance to hunt those sorry souls unfortunate enough to be on his list," Smith told her matter-of-factly.

"That doesn't sound much like living, Agent Smith," Hermione said after a few moments of silence where they were both lost in their own thoughts.

"No Ma`am," Smith replied, his tone clearly indicating the fact that he was not thrilled about the current situation. "Hard to live when you're already dead."

The bushy haired witch remembered the emotionless expression that Harry had worn when she had confronted him earlier and a cold shiver ran down her spine as she recalled what she had told Jess earlier that day ' _You can't kill that many people without it doing something to you_.' _Oh Harry, what have you done to yourself?_ With nothing to say she could do little more than stare out the window at the passing scenery. A sudden thought popped into her head. _How did Harry know I was here_?

"Davis wasn't there," Smith said, cutting into her thoughts before she could find an answer to her own question.

She felt regret that they had missed their mark but at the same time there was a spark of relief. _Harry will have to stay a bit longer it seems_ , that thought alone causing her to smile slightly till she realized it meant that he would probably have to kill again because of that. "He's bound to turn up," Hermione replied. It was a simple truth that bad people like Davis just couldn't stay away. _The world would be a much nicer place to live if they could. But then I would be out of a job_ , she told herself. _Not exactly a bad thing considering the trade-off_. The remainder of the ride passed in silence.

**-oOo-**

The SUV came to a stop before St. Mary's Hospital and Hermione opened the door to get out when she was stopped by the Agent's voice. "Look in the children's ward, Inspector. If he's likely to be found it will probably be there."

It didn't take long to find the children's ward of the hospital. She knew she had the right place by the two MIB Agents that were standing just up the hallway from the metal doors leading into the ward. Neither Agent batted an eye behind their dark glasses as she briskly walked past them. Just outside the doors to the ward, she paused as she heard laughter and squeals of joy coming from within accompanied by several voices yell "Me next! Me Next! Do me next!" As quietly as possible she eased open the door just enough to see what was taking place within.

Harry was standing in the middle of the room with a group of young children gathered around him and two beds that had children in them. Some were seated upon chairs, others in wheelchairs and some sat upon the floor as they all watched in wide eyed wonder.

"Alright then, who's next," said a voice that caused the witch outside to inhale sharply at the pain in her chest. It had been a decade since last she had heard that voice of her friend from school. It wasn't the dispassionate voice that had spoken to her only a short while ago. This was someone else in the other room, this was her Harry from Hogwarts and not some killer that had just wiped out an entire building - bad guys, hostages and all. "You there, Brian wasn't it?"

"Yes, Sir," replied a small boy seated towards the back of the group who couldn't be more than six or seven.

"Why don't you come up here and we'll let you be a part of the next trick," Harry said. Seeing people start to move so the boy could wheel his chair to the front the wizard continued, "No, you can leave the chair there. No need to bring it with you."

"Bu…but I...I can't walk, Sir," the young boy said in a sad quiet voice as his eyes dropped to his lap in shame at his disability. "Maybe you should pick someone else," he said, just loud enough for those gathered to hear.

Harry rubbed at the stubble on his jaw in a thoughtful gesture as if considering Brian's words carefully. "No. No, that just won't do," he finally replied. "If you can't walk then I guess you'll just have to fly!" Harry exclaimed as he silently and wandlessly levitated the boy before flying him around the room several times.

Hermione, standing by the door had a clear view of the small boys face as he had risen from the wheelchair, it was a priceless look of wonder that she somehow knew she would always remember for the rest of her life. The witch watched the child fly about the room squealing with happiness. "Show-off," she whispered softly to herself as Harry had the boy do several barrel rolls and flips before bringing Brian to stand directly before him.

"That was BRILLIANT!" Brian exclaimed out of breath from laughing so hard. "Can we do it again?"

"Perhaps later," Harry replied. "I was hoping that you could help me with a bit of magic though, Brian," he offered upon seeing the boy's look of disappointment. Brian's head bobbed up and down quickly even as the smile reappeared upon his face. "Great! I think you need an assistant though. How about you?" Harry asked, pointing to petite child sitting on the floor. "What's your name?"

"It's Cindy," the small girl replied with large blue eyes opened overly wide in astonishment at being called upon.

"A perfect name for such a pretty girl!" Harry exclaimed with a broad grin only to see Cindy's face break out into a huge smile at his words.

Hermione watched as a small, very frail looking girl stood and self-consciously ran a small hand over her hairless scalp. _Cancer, the poor Dear_ ," the witch thought to herself feeling extremely sorry for the child.

Harry quickly had the girl stand in front of the group, facing away from Brian and himself. "You trust me right, Cindy?" Harry asked the small girl who nodded hesitantly that she did. "Good girl," Harry replied with a reassuring smile. Quickly he leaned over and whispered in Brian's ear while removing a cloak from a small pouch attached to his hip.

Hermione recognize the cloak almost instantly, even though it had been some time since she had last seen it. As Harry passed the cloak to Brian, who remained floating in the air as if he was standing, she suspected what was about to happen and couldn't help but grin.

"I give you, Brian and Cindy! Two up and coming Magicals!" Harry said before stepping to the side to leave the two children in front of their peers.

"I will now attempt to make my lovely assistant," Brian said loudly with a flourish towards Cindy, as he got into the showmanship role, "disappear right before your eyes! Behold! Vanish!" The floating boy yelled as he tossed the cloak around the small girl causing her, as well as the cloak, to vanish before the eyes of everyone watching.

There were many gasps and squeals as the other kids saw Cindy apparently vanish. Before the budding magician could bring his assistant back, though, a small head suddenly appeared hovering in midair, "But I'm still here," Cindy said loudly causing those present to start to laugh at the comical picture of the disembodied floating head.

"A big round of applause for Brian and Cindy," Harry said as he stepped up and removed the invisibility cloak from the blushing girl. Harry carefully maneuvered Brian back to his wheelchair as Cindy returned to her seat on the floor only to be heavily praised by several of the other children seated around her for doing such a splendid job.

In a matter of a few moments all the children were asking if they could be Magicals too. Hermione, hearing the many questions, decided it was her queue to enter. Everything that Harry had been doing was against the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, no matter how happy it made the children. As she stepped into the room all the eyes, including Harry's turned to look at her.

Harry sighed and sat down upon the floor with his legs folded before him only to pause upon seeing Hermione enter. "I think I'm in trouble," Harry stage whispered to the gathered audience causing several of them to giggle.

"Don't yell at Harry!" Exclaimed Cindy as she jumped up and ran around Harry, spreading her arms to block Hermione from reaching him.

Hermione couldn't help but grin at the picture of this small little girl with angry blue eyes and a determined expression trying to protect the most ruthless of hit wizards, known throughout the world as the Angel of Death. "I wouldn't think of it," she replied as she slowly crossed the distance from the door to the group of children. Hermione nearly laughed aloud as Cindy climbed into Harry's lap and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest while shooting Hermione a challenging glare as if daring her to say something mean to Harry.

Harry cleared his throat and turned back towards the waiting children, adjusting the small bundle of arms and legs in his lap to a more comfortable position. "Ah yes, being magical," he said as if suddenly remembering what they had all been clamoring for but a few moments before.

"Can I be magical, Harry?" Cindy asked in earnest from Harry's lap as she gazed up at him with those large blue eyes of hers.

"I think you're pretty magical already with how you suddenly appeared in my lap," he told her as he gave her a hug that elicited a squeal of delight from the petite cancer patient. "As much as I wish everyone could perform real magic, sadly not everyone can."

"But why can you do it and I can't?" asked a slightly older boy seated upon the foot of one of the beds.

Seeing Harry pause to consider his answer, Hermione jumped in. _Old habits die hard I guess._ "Why does Cindy have blue eyes or you have black hair," she asked the boy who had posed the question.

"I was just born this way," the boy replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Exactly. Just as some people are born with light eyes, dark hair or even blonde hair for that matter, some people are born with the ability to do magic," she explained to the rapt audience before her. "It isn't anything that you did or Harry did that decided that he could do magic and you couldn't."

"But that's not fair!" the boy exclaimed disappointedly as he realized that he would never be able to do the things Harry had done.

"Everyone is different," Harry chimed in. "Some people are great at sports. Some can play musical instruments while others can sing. You certainly do not want to hear me try and sing," he told them with a grin. "Sounds about the same as when you step on a cat's tail," he added causing several to laugh and others to grin. "Everyone is special in their own way. Each and every one of you are special, and I happen to think that is pretty magical."

"It's the middle of the night and the nurse will be here soon, so back to bed for the lot of you," Harry said rising to his feet while holding onto Cindy who had her small arms thrown around his neck. His words were greeted with groans of disapproval and cries for more magic. With a wave of his hand he called forth dragons and fairies to playfully chase the boy and girls back to their beds amongst peals of laughter and gales of giggles.

Hermione watched as Harry made the rounds and said good night to each and every child, offering each words that were specifically just for them. Finally the wizard reached the empty bed near the end of the room and gently set Cindy down before tucking her in. It warmed Hermione's heart to see Harry being so caring and loving like a normal person. The two of them turned to leave to the cries of goodbye and thanks.

Hermione walked beside her one time friend who crossed to the elevator and hit the up button. "It's a shame that the Obliviators will be arriving soon to erase their memories. I could see just how happy they were," she said as they waited for the doors to open. "Sometimes laughter truly is the best medicine."

"The room was warded. The Obliviators will never know magic was done there tonight unless you tell them," came the cold dispassionate reply in the same tone of voice she had heard earlier at the end of the operation. "Those children deserve a little magic in their lives."

Hermione actually had to turn and look at the man beside her to make certain it was still Harry and not someone else given the dramatic change in demeanor. Before she could think of something to say, the elevator arrived and they stepped in. Harry quickly hit the button for the fourth floor. "Another group to see?" she asked innocently, trying to keep the conversation light.

"No," was Harry's only reply.

As soon as the elevator reached the fourth floor and the doors opened Harry stepped out and headed down the hall, leaving her little choice but to follow in his wake. Just before they walked in front of the nurse's station, Harry flicked his hand and Hermione felt the familiar tingle of a _Notice-Me-Not_ charm settle over her. Hermione sighed and continued to follow her former friend, finding it hard to see the Harry from her school days within the hit wizard walking before her once more.

When Harry paused at the door to one of the rooms, and then entered after knocking softly, she had little choice but to follow him in. There were still a great many questions she wanted and needed answers to. She wasn't about to let him out of her sight till she had them. It seemed that the longer she was around him the more questions kept coming to mind.

"Hi Beautiful. How's my number one girl today?" Harry's voice floated to her from behind the privacy screening. Once again the wizard's tone had turned to one she had never heard before as it held within it so much love and caring that it nearly broke her heart to hear it. "Is it alright if I talk with you?"

Hermione stepped around the screen, feeling as if she was intruding upon a private moment. She had never, in all the years they had spent together at Hogwarts, heard Harry speak in the tone of voice he was now using. Situated on the hospital bed was a small, childlike patient bandaged from head to toe as near as Hermione could tell. The only thing visible was one brown eye which flashed at her before returning to Harry.

"Hi Sara," Harry said as he slipped his hand within the girl's in the bed.

" _You came back!"_ a soft girlish voice, tinged with happiness, spoke within the wizard's head.

"I said I would, didn't I?" he replied with a gentle smile.

" _I know, but I wasn't certain that you would."_

"And miss the chance to see you? Not likely, Angel," he replied with a soft chuckle.

" _Who's that?"_

Hermione listened to the one sided conversation from the foot of the bed only to see Sara glance in her direction and then Harry turn to look at her as well. Having worked within law enforcement for some time, and seen all manner of injuries, it didn't take long for the witch to determine that beneath the bandages were severe burns.

"Inspector, meet Sara. Sara meet Inspector Granger," Harry said in way of introduction as he glanced towards Hermione. "Sara is a very special girl. She's an empath as well as possessing the ability to speak mind to mind. A very special girl."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sara. It's just Hermione. No need for the Inspector Granger part" Hermione offered with a forced smile as she tried to deny the sharp pain of hurt in her chest she felt upon hearing Harry not even use her first name when introducing her.

" _I am not."_ Sara protested Harry's words after Hermione finished introducing herself.

Harry chuckled softly as he turned his attention back towards the girl in the bed. "You are too, and you also have problems with accepting compliments. You're special to me and you know I'm not lying when I tell you that."

" _I know. You can never lie to me."_

"Why would I ever want to?" Harry countered with a small smile.

" _Does she take good care of you?"_

"That's not her job," Harry replied in a neutral tone.

Sara regarded the wizard for a very long time till Harry had to look away. _"So she's the one?"_

" _It doesn't matter,"_ Harry replied silently.

" _Why not?"_ Sara's tone of mental voice in Harry's head sounded confused.

" _That was long ago,"_ he replied mentally, not wanting the witch in the room to be privy to their conversation.

" _I want to speak to her."_

" _No,"_ was Harry's quick silent reply.

" _Please,"_ the girl's mental voice whined. _"I haven't much time left to me."_

"I know. I wish you'd stop saying that though," the wizard added aloud.

" _I'm sorry, Harry. I know you don't like to think about it. Please Harry? Let me talk to her."_

"She'd like to speak with you," Harry said without taking his eye off the girl in the bed.

Hermione walked to the other side of the bed. It was clear to her by Harry's tone that he was not happy with her speaking to the injured girl. "What do I have to do?"

Harry gave a slightly pleading look towards Sara once again before replying, "Just take her hand in yours. Don't worry about the burns. I numbed her pain centers a long time ago."

Hermione slid her hand under the small bandaged one. Even knowing what to expect she was still slightly startled when she heard a voice in her head.

" _It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hermione."_

"Harry's right, you are special," Hermione replied offering a friendly smile.

" _So he's been telling me,"_ a young feminine voice laced with exasperation sounded once more within her mind. _"Personally I don't see it."_

"Harry usually knows what he's talking about," Hermione replied.

" _He certainly thinks he does,_ " Sara's mental voice said humorously.

" _Sara!"_ Harry's voice suddenly sounded in both their minds, somehow managing to sound offended and wounded at the same time. Both girls gave a mental chuckle that was clearly heard by the only wizard present.

" _Harry, can you give us a little privacy?"_ Sara asked.

"I'd rather not," he replied honestly.

" _Please."_

Rather than saying anything further, Harry stood, releasing Sara's hand and walked over to the only window in the room to stare out at the city lights below. In the reflection on the glass he saw Hermione glance sharply in his direction several times over the next ten minutes.

"Harry, Sara would like to speak with you again," Hermione said finally.

" _I'm assuming you're here in the middle of the night because you have some news for me,"_ Sara sent him as soon as he held her hand once again.

Harry nodded slightly. _"It's over. I got him,"_ he replied silently not bothering to speak aloud as he knew Hermione, who was still holding Sara's other hand, could hear him. _"He'll never hurt you or anyone else again."_

" _I see,"_ came Sara's slow mental reply, tinged with both happiness as well as sorrow. _"It's finally over then? I can rest now?"_

" _You don't have to go,"_ Harry offered hopefully.

" _I'll miss you to, Harry,"_ came Sara's amused reply. " _We both know that I was only waiting for this. I couldn't have done it for this long without you, Harry._ "

" _What can I do for you?"_ Harry asked softly. _"Anything at all. You need only name it."_

" _I…I've always wanted to ride on a broom,"_ Sara confessed. _"I wish I could go flying."_

"Wish granted," Harry said as he reached into his pouch and pulled out a small broom which quickly expanded into his Firebolt. A wave of his hand and he transfigured the solid window into a pair of shutters which quickly opened allowing the night air to flow into the room. Another gesture and Sara was situated in Harry's lap where he straddled his broom. "Make sure no one comes in," he said to Hermione before dashing out the window and into the dark skies over Sydney.

Harry flew carefully about, zipping past tall dark skyscrapers and under bridges. Each action bringing with it a squeal of delight in his mind from his passenger.

" _Thank you Harry! This is so awesome!"_ Sara's ecstatic voice sounded in his mind. _"I see now why you love it so much!"_

" _Anything for the most special girl in my life,"_ Harry replied, happy that he could grant her wish to fly on a broom.

" _Anything?"_ Sara asked. Harry, in the midst of a slow curve around another tall building simple looked down with a smile and nodded once. _"Then you need to tell her."_

There was a long pause before he replied. _"Sorry, Beautiful, but I can't do that."_

" _I thought you said anything?"_ Sara said in a pouting tone.

" _Anything but that,"_ Harry replied.

" _I didn't know '_ anything _' had limitations attached to it,"_ she whined. Seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere she decided to try a different approach. _"She loves you."_

Harry snorted in amusement. _"I didn't know you could lie this way,"_ he stated. _"You're just full of surprises."_

" _I'm not lying Harry. You know as well as I do that when joined this way I can't lie. Just like you can't lie to me."_

" _Maybe she did once and even that I'm not so certain about,"_ he replied begrudgingly.

" _Still does,"_ Sara interjected insistently. " _I felt it every time she thought of you."_

" _If she does then all the more reason not to tell her,"_ Harry retaliated with. _"People who love me don't usually live long. I've buried enough of them to know,"_ the last of his mental reply came out far more vehemently than he had intended it to be.

" _I'm sorry then Harry,"_ Sara said softly in his mind. _"For it seems that I will be adding yet another name to that long list of those who have loved you and you've had to bury."_

" _It's alright,"_ he assured her, leaning down to kiss the crown of her head where it rested against his chest. _"It's far too easy to love you, Angel. I couldn't imagine not loving you."_

" _Thank you Harry."_

" _For what?"_ he asked with an amused snort.

" _For loving me when no one else would. For everything."_ Harry felt a pair of gauzed wrapped lips brush his cheek tenderly. _"I love you, Harry Potter. You're my own personal angel."_

" _I love you too,"_ Harry replied, blinking the tears from his eye.

" _My last wish to you is for you to tell her. She needs to hear it as much as you need to say it."_

Several long minutes passed as he slowly brought the broom about and headed back towards the hospital. "I'll try," he whispered aloud to the stilled body in his arms that would never again hear anyone's voice.

**-oOo-**

Hermione watched as Harry gently laid Sara's body back in in the hospital bed and with a wave of his hand reconnected all the monitors which remained frozen. She didn't have to look to know that the girl had passed away while flying through the air. _She had clung to life till she knew that the person Harry killed was no long able to hurt anyone else_ , she realized.

They walked from the room and entered the elevator when it arrived. Just as the doors were closing, the alarms went off and a team for doctors and nurses ran into Sara's room with a crash cart to try to revive the girl.

Hermione could feel her emotions welling up inside of her. The day had been long as well as an emotional roller coaster ride for her. She had been shocked to see Harry again after all these years. The fact that he had destroyed an entire building, dark wizards, hostages and all with no remorse for his actions had angered her to no end. Yet given all that, seeing him playing with the children in the hospital had brought back wonderful memories of the Harry she use to know. It had raised her spirits after a long and tiring day. Meeting Sara had proven to be a shock in more ways than one. To have the poor girl pass away shortly after their first meeting just left the witch floundering.

Hermione could only imagine how Harry must be feeling. "Harry," she started to say, reaching out to grasp his arm only to be cut off abruptly.

"She's better off now," Harry stated, once more in that cold and detached tone that sent shivers down her spine.

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "She's dead! How can that be better?"

"Her father was a follower of Davis back in Salem," Harry replied emotionlessly. "When he found out that his daughter was a Squib, he doused her in petrol and lit the match himself. He didn't want to soil his family name. With a family and a life like that she's better off gone so she can't be hurt by anyone ever again."

Hermione gapped in horror both at Sara's plight as well as Harry's attitude towards the girl's death. "Harry, what happened to you?" she asked in disbelief before she could stop herself.

Harry turned his head to look at her and the cold emotionless expression nearly made her take a step away from him. Gone was the Harry she knew and had seen glimpses of, only to be replaced once more by the number one hit wizard in the world. His reply, when it came, was like a physical blow. "It's not important. If it was important enough to you, then you'd already know."

Anger flared in the witch partially due to the events of the entire day and also in part to the fact that there was a heavy element of truth to his accusation. His words hurt her deeply, which was something she had never experienced from Harry before. Ron yes, Harry never. Even though she knew in that small part of her mind which was still capable of rational thought that Harry had merely stated the facts, she couldn't help the hurt that shot through her heart. "Like you did such a bloody brilliant job of keeping in touch with me!" Hermione snapped, lashing out in her pain and anger.

"I guess that says something about the both of us then, doesn't it?" he replied, then in the moment between one second and the next he was simply gone. There was no crack of apparition or portkey, he simply vanished, leaving her alone with her thoughts in the elevator.

**-oOo-**

"You wanted to see me, Boss?" Jess asked, sticking her head into Hermione's office.

"Yeah," Hermione replied waving the blonde witch in.

"Damn, you look like shite, Granger!" Jess said once she got a good look at the witch seated behind the desk. "Have you gotten any sleep yet?"

"I'm heading home in just a bit," Hermione replied. "In fact, right after we're done here," she assured her friend.

Jess nodded, well aware of the events that transpired last night and the amount of paperwork involved. Once again she gave thanks that it wasn't her that got chosen for Hermione's current position as the head of TASS. "What can I do for you?"

"I need you to track someone down for me," Hermione replied. Jess was like a bloodhound when it came to finding people. In the eight years that Hermione had been working with the girl she had never seen anyone better at locating people. "This is their name and their last known residence," she added passing a piece of paper across to the blonde witch.

Jess accepted the paper and took a look at it. _Ronald Weasley, The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, in Devon, England_ , she read silently to herself. "Sure thing. How high of a priority should I give this?"

Hermione chewed the inside of her lip for a long moment debating her answer. She wanted, no needed, to speak with Ron to see if he knew what had happened to Harry, but it wasn't exactly official work either. "It's more personal than work related," she finally settled on telling the waiting witch. "Work on it when you have a chance but don't go out of your way. I'll owe you one."

"Understood," Jess replied, folding the paper. "You need to get home and sleep before you fall over or have an accident while driving."

"I'm on my way now," Hermione said, rising and grabbing her purse.

"Good girl," Jess said, then proceeded to walk her boss out so that Hermione didn't get sidetracked and stay another hour or two. After seeing Hermione out she went back into the building only to find an nervous rookie looking around anxiously. "You lost or something Burns?" Jess enquired.

"Have you seen Inspector Granger?" Michael Burns asked hurriedly, clearly relieved to have found if not his target than at least the person who might best know where the sought after Inspector currently was.

"Yeah, I just sent her home," the blonde witch replied. "Something up?" Jess asked upon seeing the crest fallen look upon the young man's face.

"We need to know what to do with the group of hostages that were portkeyed into St. Bernadette's last night," the newest rookie to TASS stated.

"Get their statements and then send them home or to their closest kin," Jess told the man before sending him on his way. Once she had seen the rookie off she returned to her desk and got to work on locating one Ronald Weasley. _Personal takes precedence over work any day of the week. Especially where Hermione is concerned_ , the buxom blonde mused silently to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

The drive home was more a blur to the young witch than anything else. If she had been asked what she had seen along the way she would have been hard pressed to recall anything. Pulling into the underground parking structure Hermione quickly found her assigned space and with a bone weary sigh put the car in park and turned off the engine. _I've forgotten just how draining it is to be around Harry_ , she mused to herself as she gathered her purse and briefcase with some files in it and exited the vehicle. While it was early morning she had not been to bed for over twenty-four hours now. That coupled with the events of that evening equated to one tired witch.

_Was it always like this with Harry? Maybe I'm just older now and more aware of it?_ The time spent at Hogwarts seemed to have been a race from one emergency to another all the years she had been there. Harry, her Harry from then, was a trouble magnet in those days. _He didn't have to go looking for misfortune, it always found him and usually with the force of a rogue bludger_. There was no time to think about being tired back then she realized. _I was much younger and had a great deal more energy as well. Not to mention teenage hormones running wild like crazy_ , she thought with a small bemused smile which quickly disappeared at her next thought. _Harry had it worse than any of us back then, though_. _He never really had time to just be Harry._

Making her way towards the elevator she couldn't deny that she felt both physically, as well as emotionally drained after the events that had transpired through the course of the night. It was shocking enough seeing Harry, but to discover that her once best friend was now the most feared hit wizard in the world was a step or two past unbelievable. Somewhere over the last ten years her Harry, the one she had attended school with and vanquished a Dark Lord with, had disappeared leaving behind a stranger, whom if she were honest with herself, scared her more than just a little.

Entering the elevator when the doors opened Hermione pushed the button for the twelfth floor, leaned back against the wall closing her eyes. She allowed herself to rest for a long moment as the car climbed to its destination. The distant hum of the lifts motor seemed to blend in with the soft instrumental music that was playing over the speaker above her head. Right now all she wanted to do was take a shower and climb beneath the covers of her bed and sleep for a day or three.

The apartment she rented was in a high-rise building that stretched twenty floors up into the sky, just one of many in this heavily cosmopolitan area of Sydney. The residence itself was rather large, with a small kitchen separated from the rest of the living areas by a breakfast bar. Sliding wooden shutters built into the opening between the bar and kitchen could be used to hide the kitchen completely from view. The dining area flowed down into the large living room area which was highlighted by the large sliding glass doors that led out onto a spacious balcony. It was the view from the balcony that had sold her on the place. Walking in the front entranceway the first thing seen was the incredible view of the Sydney skyline in all its glory through the floor to ceiling glass doors. The sunsets from the balcony were to die for, or so she felt when she witnessed her first one. She highly suspected the realtor had shown her the apartment right at sunset just for that purpose.

Hermione made the short trip down the hallway from the elevator to her front door and opened it before stepping in. Closing the door behind herself she set her purse and keys down upon the table next to the door. With dragging feet she stepped down the three steps into the sunken living room and dropped her briefcase on the large loveseat before she realized that something was not right. Moving on instinct the TASS agent dove to one side as the redness of a stunner spell whizzed through where she had been standing but a moment ago. Before Hermione had even thought about it her wand was out and two stunners and a cutting curse had been flung in the general direction from which the spell aimed at her had originated. The thump of a body hitting the floor told her that at least one of her spells had hit someone.

"Blimey! She got Ned!" exclaimed a voice from behind her in the dining room area. Turning Hermione saw three men were standing there, wearing long black trench coats and dark clothing. They must have been hiding in the kitchen when she first walked in, she guessed. All three had their wands out and aimed in her direction. Even as she shakily got to her feet she heard a door behind her open and she knew others who had been hiding in the bedroom were now behind her with a clear shot at her unprotected back.

"Granger, we can do this quick and painless, or slow and messy," said the man in the middle near the kitchen. "The choice is really yours," he added.

"So you're Davis' dogs come to do his bidding?" Hermione asked, stalling for time as she tried to determine what would be the best course of action to get out of this alive. The experienced Inspector had little doubt that they were here to kill her. "He couldn't come himself? Didn't want to get his hands dirty?" Hermione asked with an open sneer and contempt evident in her voice.

"He's the boss," the talkative one replied. "Small jobs like this aren't for him to do," the man explained. "Now if you'll be so kind as to put down your wand we can get this over with."

"Just do `er, Darnel!" growled one of the men behind her. "I want to get back `ome before lunch and we still `ave the dentists to go do yet."

Whatever Darnel was going to say was halted by a loud crunching sound which emanated from the kitchen. Slowly all eyes turned to look towards the other room however the shutters were closed across the window between the breakfast bar and the kitchen itself. Hermione reasoned that the SOS members must have closed the wooden shutters when they were hiding there awaiting her arrival. In the still silence booted foot falls could be heard as whoever was in the kitchen made their way towards the doorway. Every head in the apartment slowly pivoted as they followed the overly loud tread.

"I don't believe the lady wants to go with you, gentlemen" said the man as he stepped into view and leaned against the kitchen doorframe before taking another bite of the apple in his hand.

"Just who the bloody `ell are you," the loud impatient SOS member near the bedroom asked heatedly.

The man finished chewing the bite of apple before swallowing it as was the polite thing to do. "Your boss may know me by another name, however I think you'll know me best as Archangel," Harry said, noting that almost all of the men paled at his words.

"Bullshite if yo-," the man's words were cutoff as the partially eaten apple Harry banished from his hand slammed into the speaker's face with a goodly amount of force.

Harry, using his other hand, banished the assailant closest to him into the one named Darnel, the two men effectively blocking the third man behind them from getting a spell off at Harry. With the same hand he had used to banish the apple, Harry silently summoned Hermione's clothes as magic would not allow you to use _Accio_ on living matter. Because the witch was currently in her clothes she soon found herself sailing across the room only to smash into Harry's waiting arms. The two of them spun away from the door frame and into the kitchen just as the green light of a killing curse shattered the wooden frame where they had been but a second before. The two of them hastily crawled behind the counter and cabinets. A seconded Killing curse pulverized the wooden shutters, raining down splinters and debris on the two of them.

Harry looked about for a moment before transfiguring the front of the refrigerator into a mirrored surface and then used it to see what was happening in the other room. In the image of the mirror he spotted one of the men dashing across the living room area in an attempt to gain a better advantage point from which to cast spells.

Hermione saw the man in the image as well and quickly bobbed up and with a flick of her wrist called out, " _Incarcerous!"_ The attacker fell to the floor wrapped in ropes.

"Thanks," Harry said as he motioned to the image in the mirror and levitated the bound captive before hurling him through the glass doors and out over the balcony railing.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped in shock as she watched the body dart away and then heard the sound of the breaking glass. "Let him go. You can't just kill him!" she scolded.

"Alright," Harry replied with a smirk as he released his spell and allowed the floating man to plummet the twelve stories to the hard ground before. Seeing the angry glare on the witches face Harry quickly added in his defense, "What? You told me to let him go. Besides, I didn't kill him. The ground did. If you want to be mad at something be mad at it."

Before the irate witch could respond both of them had to duck and cover their heads as a barrage of spells flew into the kitchen making short work of the cabinets across from them as well as placing a sizeable dent into the front of the refrigerator Harry had charmed into a mirror.

Harry summoned several cans that were rolling around on the floor, having been blasted from their storage place within the cabinets. With a gesture he repaired the front of the icebox so that they could once again see the living room in its reflection. The image showed five men spread about the room, each with their wands leveled at the opening directly above the witch and wizard in the kitchen.

"Nine ball, corner pocket," Harry intoned with a grin as he tossed a can of cream corn into the air and then banished it once it cleared the counter top. The metal projectile flew across the room in a blink of an eye, hitting the one named Darnel directly in the face with a sickening meaty thud. The now dead leader dropped to the floor. Shocked by the quick loss of their leader the attackers were slow to react and another one was dropped by a can of stewed tomatoes. "You really should eat better than this," Harry quipped to the witch next to him. Glancing at the two downed SOS members he added with a small grin, "Apparently that stuff is bad for your health."

The remaining three attackers quickly found cover from which to cast their spells. They also started to direct their spell casting at the wall beneath what was left of the breakfast bar rather than simply tossing them in through the windowed area above their targets and hoping to catch them on accident. A few seconds later a piercing spell punctured through the remnants of the wall, the cabinet door and Hermione's shoulder, knocking the witch forward and over onto her side which saved her life as a cutting curse tore through the area she had been but a moment before.

Harry cursed under his breath upon seeing the bleeding and unconscious witch lying on the floor. The Hit wizard quickly raised his hand above the counter top while looking at the reflection in the icebox. Two of the attackers were close together while the third one was off to the side near the glass doors. " _Praemium Levitas_ ," the wizard called out focusing on the two men who were nearest each other. The former Seeker knew it was a large risk as he needed to keep his hand where it was and the targets within sight for the duration of the spell. At any moment any of the three could cast a spell that would remove his hand from his arm. He hadn't gotten through as many scrapes as he had by playing it safe though.

A thick violet bolt of electrical energy leaped from Harry's hand and crossed the distance to the first man and then arched off to also attach itself to the SOS member next to him. Harry pushed his magical energy into the spell as both men were held entrapped by the electrical current started to convulse and spasm, their muscles no longer answering their commands. Judging the amount of energy to be enough the hit wizard finished the spell, causing both bodies to suddenly explode sending blood, tissue and bone shard projectiles in every direction.

The remaining Sons of Sydney member, who happened to be the one who had taken the apple to the face, tried to apparate away only to discover that the anti-disapparition ward they had established to keep the Granger woman from getting away was still in effect. In a panic the man reached into his pocket for the emergency portkey that was there, however Harry was quicker.

The dark haired wizard jumped to his feet once he heard the explosion of the bodies caused by the exploding lightning spell he had used. Utilizing the same method he had used to leave Hermione in the elevator, Harry stepped from the kitchen in the space between one moment and the next only to reappear beside the remaining attacker with his hand splayed across the man chest. " _Reducto_!" Harry exclaimed, blowing the man's chest out his back in a gory mess. Before the man's body had even crumpled to the floor the hit wizard was back in the kitchen and gathering the injured witch in his arms before he stepped into the space between one moment and the next and was gone.

**-oOo-**

It was the feeling of someone else being there that finally awoke the young witch. Opening her eyes Hermione turned her head to see a woman in a healer's uniform standing next to her bed slowly moving her wand back and forth while taking readings. "How long?" the injured witch asked as she glanced about the hospital room she was in.

"Oh good you're awake, Inspector," the Healer said in an all too bright and cheerful tone of voice.

"How long have I been out," Hermione asked as she attempted to sit up only to winch at the sharp pain in her left shoulder.

"You were brought in yesterday morning," the Healer stated as she used the bed's controls to lift the head portion. "It's about dusk now," she told the woman in the now adjusted bed.

"How did I get here?" Hermione asked as she tried to find a comfortable position. Her left shoulder and upper arm were heavily bandaged which restricted movement in that area. The little she could move it sent waves of pain through her body which strongly encouraged her not to do so again.

"Let me go and get the Healer who is handling your case, Inspector," the young woman replied. "I'm just a Healer in training," she quickly explained.

"That won't be necessary," Hermione paused for a split second as she glanced down at the girl's name tag, "Amber. I've only a few more questions."

"A…alright," Amber replied hesitantly, certain she should really go and fetch the Healer in charge of the Inspector's case.

"Where are my clothes?" Hermione enquired after a quick glance about and not seeing them.

"They're in there," Amber replied with a nod towards a small closet. "Mended and cleaned as per procedure, Inspector."

"I'll be sure to note that in my report, Healer in training," Hermione replied in her business tone of voice, feeling a bit of authority might be called for. "And my wand?"

"Your…w…wand? Locked up at the Healer's station as required," Amber replied. It was standard procedure to secure the wands of all patients to prevent them from hurting themselves and others. "W…why would you need that?" Amber stuttered with a sinking feeling.

"I'm a witch after all. Can't very well be out and about without my wand," Hermione told her matter-of-factly. "Not to mention that I feel terribly naked without it."

"But you shouldn't be going anywhere," Amber stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I haven't got time to be lying around here," Hermione replied. "Now be a good dear and get my wand for me or shall I have to mention that in my report as well?" the head of the TASS asked with an arched brow. The Healer in training paled and fled the room with a small squeak of fright.

No sooner had the girl left the room than Hermione swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up only to have to fight off a wave of dizziness. Spots swam before her eyes and her shoulder felt as if someone had shoved a white hot poker into it and was doing a good imitation of stirring a cauldron of acid.

"Up and causing trouble already, Granger?" asked a very familiar voice from the doorway. "I see you've already scared off the help. What'd you do, threaten to report her?"

"She's getting my wand…or at least she had better be," Hermione growled through clenched teeth.

"Damn, you look like bloody hell, Granger," Jess said in a more serious tone as she crossed the distance from the door to the bed and laid a supportive hand on her friend's good shoulder. "They really did a number on you didn't they?" Hermione almost shrugged and then thought better of it and simply nodded once. "Your healer girl is going to be very disappointed," the blonde witch continued with as she pulled a wand from her pocket and handed it to Hermione. "I figured you'd want that as soon as you were awake."

"I wonder how long it will take her to work up the courage to come and tell me that she can't find it?" Hermione said with a small grin as she accepted the wand, welcoming the feel of the familiar wood in her palm once again.

Jess snorted humorously. "You're assuming she doesn't pass out right on the spot when she can't locate it. You can be a tad bit mental when you put your mind to it."

"I've been told that a time of two," Hermione admitted. "Help me get dressed will you? I have to get to Mom and Dad's as soon as possible." Hermione quickly explained how one of the SOS members had stated that the elder pair of dentists were their next target. She wasn't willing to chance that just because all of the ones attacking her were detained that her parents would be spared. Even allowing for time for the SOS to regroup after the failed attack at her apartment, she knew that with nearly two days having passed, the chance of her parent still being alive were small to non-existent.

In just a few minutes the injured witch was dressed and side-along apparated, clutching the blonde witches arm, into the back garden of the Wilkins' home. As soon as Hermione could move they made their way through the back door of the residence as quietly as possible. Once inside the house they drew their wands and eased up to the door that separated the kitchen from the living room area. Easing it open slightly Hermione peeked out and saw her parents sitting on the sofa enjoying a cup of tea.

The two witches exchanged looks and gave a slight nod before lowering their wand, using their bodies to shield them from view rather than putting them away just yet. "Mom. Dad," Hermione called as she pushed open the swinging door and walked into the dining room area which let out onto the living room where her parents were seated.

"Hermione Dear, and Jessica!" the elder Wilkins woman said with a warm welcoming smile as she got to her feet. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Come to get your arse handed to you in cards finally?" asked Wendell Wilkins with a large smile at the brunette witch who was like a daughter to him and his wife.

Hermione slowly crossed the space to them, glancing about only to spot that there were three teacups on the table. "You have company?" she asked as casually as she could. Jess hurried past the injured witch intercepting Monica Wilkins and exchanging pecks on the cheeks followed by a warm hug.

Monica nodded as she released the young blonde girl and walked towards her daughter. "He just left before you both came in. Such a nice young man. Why haven't you brought him about sooner, Dear?" she asked Hermione with a disapproving scowl on her face.

"How long ago did he leave?" asked Hermione, concerned as well as worried about who had been in the house and then fled when they had arrived.

"Just a minute or two ago," Monica replied in a slightly confused tone. "Is something wrong, Dear?"

"He said that you sent him over," Wendell offered as he got up and came to stand next to his wife. "I didn't hear a car so he may have walked. If he did then he shouldn't have gotten too far away."

Hermione shot Jess a quick glance which had the blonde witch out the front door and hurrying to the street in short order. "Can you tell me when he got here and what he did and said?"

"I don't understand, Dear. Is something wrong?" Monica asked worriedly even as her husband slipped a comforting arm around her waist.

"Perhaps it would be best if we sat down," Hermione offered as she stepped forward and kissed her mother on the cheek only to hiss as the movement caused pain to flare up in her injured shoulder.

"What happened to you?" Monica exclaimed suddenly having caught a flash of bandages under Hermione's clothes as well as heard the sharp noise caused by the pain.

Hermione tried to wave off their concerns with her good arm but neither of the Wilkins were having any of it and wouldn't say a word till they had her resting comfortably in an arm chair. "Really, it's nothing," Hermione told them. "I got injured at work yesterday morning. The doctors said I'll make a full recovery. They just bandaged it to help keep it immobile so that it can heal faster."

Hermione's parents were about to launch into a speech about being careful however Jess returning interrupted them before they could get started. "Whoever he was he's long gone now," the curvy witch told them as she closed the front door behind her and took a seat on the couch.

"Start at the beginning and tell me what happened," Hermione said turning to look at her parents once again. "When did he get here?"

"It was yesterday morning, early," Monica replied with a glance towards her husband. "Wendell had gone into work early, so it was after that. He showed me his badge and said that you had asked him to come over and keep an eye on the house as there had been some commotion or something at your work. Is that how you got hurt, Dear?"

"What did he do while he was here," Hermione asked, ignore her mother's question for the moment.

"Well, not much at first," Monica replied as her brow creased in deep thought. "He mentioned he was new to these parts and so we talked about all the things there are to see and do."

"I'm surprised that didn't send him running right there," Wendell piped in with a grin in an attempt to lighten the mood in the room.

"Hush you or you can cook your own dinner tonight," Monica scolded him in return. Despite the seriousness of the situation the two witches present couldn't keep the grins off their faces.

"Come lunch time he helped in the kitchen with preparations saying he didn't feel right just sitting by while I did all the work. From the way he handled a knife I would have to say he was not stranger to cooking." The two TASS agents exchanged knowing looks as they both knew that any good assassin would know how to properly handle a blade.

"I got home just as lunch was ready," Wendell offered, taking over the narration of events.

"Surprising how often that happens," Monica interjected just loud enough for all to hear, but with a playfully affectionate smile on her face.

"After lunch the young man helped me with a few chores around the house," the elder Wilkins said acting as if he hadn't heard his wife's comment. "He even managed to get that old tiller, you know the one I was going to overhaul, working again." Wendell said with a knowing look towards Hermione. The witch had offered to buy them a new tiller many times but her father had always countered by saying he was going to overhaul the old broken one that was collecting dust out in the shed.

"After doing all those chores, we couldn't let him go without feeding him," Monica said, picking up the thread of the conversation once again while shooting her husband an accusing look. The elder Wilkins matriarch, while glad the chores got done, still wasn't pleased that Wendell had gotten the young man to do the lion's share of the work. "He helped in the kitchen once again and did the cooking this time. I don't remember what he called the dish now but it was something like Cornish Blue or close to that," she told them.

"After helping with the dishes we all sat down for a spot of tea to relax when I noticed that he didn't look right." Monica's face took on a worried expression for a moment before she turned and looked at her husband. "You shouldn't have worked him so hard. Him being new to here and all. I'm certain it was the heat that got to him."

"How was I to know?" Wendell asked defensively. "It wasn't like he complained none."

Monica glared at her husband for a long silent moment before turning back to face the two witches. "Well I checked and sure enough he was running a fever. I couldn't very well send him home like that so I told him to stay the night. He graciously turned me down though."

Wendell chuckled, unable to contain his mirth any longer. "You know how your Mum is once she's made up her mind," he said in a conspirator tone of voice. "Needless to say he eventually gave in and spent the night. As if he had any choice in the matter," Wendell snorted in amusement at his own words causing the younger two women to smile as well.

"He was feverish," Monica replied indignantly while trying to keep from grinning as well.

"What happened today?" Hermione asked, beginning to think that they may have been worried for nothing.

"Nothing much," her mother replied with. "His fever seemed to have gone away when I checked in the morning. It was rather funny though, coming downstairs in the morning and finding breakfast ready and waiting for us. Seems your young man was an early riser and was up ahead of us. He had an entire spread for us for breakfast. He knows his way around the kitchen. He's going to make some lucky woman a wonderful husband someday," she said with a pointed look towards Hermione.

"Mrs. Wilkins," Jess cut in, coming to her friends rescue with a bemused grin on her pretty face, "can you tell us what this man looked like?"

"He was about your age Hermione Dear," Monica said, never taking her eyes off of the squirming girl. "He was handsome and very polite. I can't recall the last time I've been called _Ma`am_ so many times," she added with an appreciative smile. "He seemed to really like the color black as well. I believe everything he had on was black now that I think about it."

"Wearing black may not be the brightest thing to do here, given the heat and all, but to each his own," Wendell offered with a slight shrug. "I tell you, I won't forget that scar of his anytime soon though. Nasty piece of work that was," the only male present added with a slight shiver.

"Scar?" Hermione and Jess asked in unison.

"I thought it made him look a bit dashing, in a roguish manner," Monica offered with a slightly wistful sigh.

"You never said that about my scar!" Wendell exclaimed a bit dejectedly.

Monica slapped her husband playfully on his shoulder as she replied with, "That's because yours in on your backside and there is nothing roguishly handsome about that, Dear." Leaning over she took her husband's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "Not like I don't love the rest of you, you know."

"What did the scar look like," Jess asked.

"It was a nasty thing," Wendell replied. "Ran from his hair line all the way down to his jaw."

"Poor dear must have lost his eye as well as he had a black patch over where the left one should have been," Monica added.

**-oOo-**

It was some time later when Hermione and Jessica found themselves sitting alone in the living room together. The Wilkins had stepped out to go shopping. Hermione had asked if she could stay with them and they had both readily agreed, however the ice box was not stocked for company and so off they went to the store.

"You going to be alright here?" Jess asked in a soft yet worried tone.

"Better here than someplace else," Hermione replied with a tired sigh. "If I stayed away I would just worry myself sick over them. At least here I can keep an eye on them both and protect them should the need arise."

"Like you're in any shape to be fighting off an attack," Jess stated with a small snort at the thought.

"Well…maybe...if I had some help?" Hermione said in a small voice assuming a sad puppy dog look while batting her big brown eyes.

Jess stared at her boss and friend for one very long moment before being unable to resist those big brown eyes. "Fine! I guess I can sleep over for a while to keep an eye on you." Hermione blew her a playful kiss of thanks which the blonde witch mimicked snatching it out of the air and stuffing it in her pocket. "I'll collect on that later, Granger," she stated with a lecherous leer.

"Oh, before I forget, I tracked down that Ronald Weasley you asked me to look for," Jess said, changing subjects rapidly as was her want on most occasions. "Nasty bit of work that one," she added with a small shudder, mimicking Wilkins senior from just a bit ago. Seeing the questioning look from the witch across from her she continued. "He wasn't all that hard to find. He's with the rest of his family after all."

"I'm not surprised," Hermione said with a nostalgic smile as she recalled her time at the Burrow. "The Weasleys always where a close knit family after all. I'm not surprised they're all living into the Burrow these days."

"Well, they're not living there now," Jess countered with.

"Really?" Hermione asked with more than a little surprise. "Where are they?"

"The entire family is buried in a cemetery in Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England," Jess said as she pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket and so missed the shocked expression that crossed Hermione's face upon hearing her words. "It seems the family was rather heavily involved in the war a decade back with that Voldemort person who thought of himself as a Dark Lord. A group of his followers paid the Weasleys a visit on the night of New Years a little over a year after the death of their master. Killed the lot of them."

"H…how did…," Hermione had to pause and swallow heavily as her mouth had suddenly gone dry. "How did they get past the wards?"

Jess gave her friend a concerned look, picking up that the Weasleys were no ordinary family to Hermione, only to recall that this was _the_ Hermione Granger. A fact she often forgot being so close to the woman with her. "From the report that was filed, they used a car filled with explosives and petrol. Seems the wards around the place were keyed to allow cars to pass through them. The explosion leveled the place and killed everyone who was inside. According to the report the entire family was visiting for the holiday with even the older brothers having made a special trip back for the occasion."

_Ron! Fred!_ Hermione's eyes suddenly grew large in fear as well as dread as she thought of something. "Did the report mention if Ginerva Weasley being there as well?" Jess glanced at the list before nodding and trying to force back a shudder of revulsion. "What?" Hermione asked seeing her friend's reaction.

"At the time of the attack the youngest Weasley was six months pregnant," the blonde witch said, paling slightly. "Whoever did the attack wanted to make certain that the baby was dead and gutted her to remove the child and kill it by decapitation."

Hermione sat stunned in disbelief. All the memories of her summers spent at the Burrow came rushing back in an instant. The crazy antics of the twins, Ron's obsession with Quidditch and Ginny's overwhelming desire to marry The-Boy-Who-Lived. Large boisterous meals surrounded by a sea of redheads. Molly's hugs that could squeeze the stuffing out of you while filling you up with love at the same time. To think that all of them were now gone and had been for nearly a decade without her knowing about it at all was just inconceivable. Hermione couldn't help but wonder just how many other friends had been lost over the years that she knew nothing about.

"I would sure hate to be the poor bastard that did that if the father ever catches up to him," Jess said softly more as if she was thinking it to herself aloud. "The only victims of the attack were Weasleys so I'm assuming the father either survived the attack or wasn't there in the first place."

_Can this be why Harry is the way he is_ , Hermione suddenly wondered. _Did Ginny finally get her wish and catch Harry's attention enough that they got married and had a baby? If so then the people on Harry's list must be the ones responsible for the attack on the Burrow_ , she reasoned as the pieces began to fall into place. _That explains why Harry is so ruthless; he's dead inside_ , the bright witch realized. _That was Harry's baby that was killed!_


	5. Chapter 5

"Agent Smith!" Hermione called, quickening her pace to catch up to the MIB agent who paused and turned to look behind him upon hearing his name called. It had been a week since the attack in the twelfth-floor apartment. She had as yet to return to the place, instead staying with the Wilkins to insure they were safe. Even though she told herself that, she knew it was only a partial truth as she had no desire to return to her own place after reading the report concerning the carnage that took place there. It had also been a week since she had seen Harry. After delivering her to the hospital the world's deadliest hit wizard had returned to work. The fact that Harry hadn't visited once hurt more than she was willing to admit to herself.

"Inspector Granger," Smith said with a welcoming smile as the witch stopped next to him. "I see they finally allowed you to return to work? All better?"

"Well enough," Hermione replied trying to ignore the burning pain in her shoulder. The Healers had done all they could but as yet her wound was not healing fully. The prognosis was to continue treatment in the hopes that it would eventually work. They had told her there was some dark magic involved and that was what was preventing the injury from healing completely. "If I had to remain sitting at home much longer I would have gone barmy!"

Smith chuckled knowingly. "It's not in our nature to sit idly by and do nothing," he told her. "Are your friends, the Wilkins, doing alright?"

Hermione nodded even as she answered, "Jess is with them right now." _Yet another thing I owe her for_ , the young witch thought to herself. "They should be fine with her there. They think of us as their daughters in a way and we've more or less adopted them," she added, smiling affectionately. Jess was the only one besides the Chief Inspector who knew that the Wilkins were her real parents.

"Well I am glad they're safe," the agent beside her said with a note of real concern in his voice. "Nasty business when the non-magical get caught up in our troubles." The witch could do little more than nod in agreement. "It is good to see you again Inspector but I'm afraid that I must part with you here. I was on my way out when you hailed me," he told her with a friendly smile before nodding once and turning to head off in the direction he had been walking.

Hermione watched him start to walk away before blurting out, "I need to see him."

Smith stopped in his tracks upon hearing her words. Slowly the MIB agent turned to regard her closely before offering a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I'm on my way to see him now if you'd like to come along," he offered. There was no question of who exactly she meant when she said she had to see _him_.

Upon exiting the building there was a black SUV waiting for them with Agent Willis in the passenger seat. If he was surprised to see the witch he didn't show it as far as Hermione could tell. Night was rapidly falling as they sped through the city, in route to where Harry was. In short order they pulled off the main streets and into a suburb, arriving at a primary school.

"This is where Harry is?" Hermione asked in disbelief as they drove around the school building towards the back of it.

Smith turned and nodded with a smile. "He doesn't like to be cooped up inside either apparently," he told her, the smile due to their previous conversation. The SUV turned the corner around the building its head lights landed on the hit wizard in question, standing with a brownish orange ball in his hands. "We'll come back in a little while," Smith told Hermione as the SUV stopped to allow her to step out.

"Thank you," she replied as she opened the door and stepped from the vehicle, winching slightly as the movement caused her shoulder to move painfully. As soon as she closed the door, the black vehicle drove off leaving her standing there alone with the most feared hit wizard in the world.

"Inspector," Harry said with a slight nod of his head in way of greeting as his hands slowly spun the basketball around in his hands. His blank expressionless face gave away nothing from what she could see of it in the defused outdoor lighting streaming from the top of the school building near at hand.

Ever since she had learned from Jess what had happened to the Weasleys she had thought of a hundred different questions she wanted to ask the man before her, but now that she was face to face with him she couldn't seem to gather her thoughts enough to ask them. "Basketball huh?" she asked as her confused brown eyes fell upon the ball shifting from hand to hand. "I would never have pegged you for that."

"Something I picked up in the States," he told her, bouncing the ball twice as he spoke. "It's a good way to maintain hand eye coordination which helps with casting."

Hermione only then noticed that they were standing on an outdoor basketball court. "I always got the impression with the game that you would spend more time chasing the ball than shooting it if you played alone."

"You would normally be true," he agreed before turning and shooting the ball towards the hoop where it went through without touching the rim. The ball bounced away till Harry raised his arm at which point the ball flew through the air to his waiting hand. "Being magical does have its advantages," he added as he turned to face her once more. "Give it a try," he added as he passed the ball to her.

Catching the basketball with only a slight grimace of pain, Hermione stepped forward onto the court and dribbled the ball awkwardly a few times. "Sports were never my thing, Harry," she said as she worked her way closer towards the hoop. Once she was nearly under the rim she shot the ball up, off the backboard and watched with no small measure of satisfaction as it bounced off the edge of the rim and went through the hoop. As she reached for the bouncing ball, it flew away from her towards Harry who caught it deftly dribbling it with an ease she couldn't help but envy.

"So your parents," the hit wizard opened with as he bounced the ball between his legs before doing a fade away jumper from the top of the key. As with the last shot this one too went through the hoop without touching the rim. "You found them," he added upon landing on his toes with the grace of a cat.

Hermione nodded as she caught the ball as it dropped down through the hoop. "It took a couple of months to locate them," she told him as she dribbled the ball a few feet to one side, being careful of her shoulder. "When I sent them here I didn't specify where in Australia they were to go so I wasn't certain where they were." Pivoting about she shot the ball and once more banked it off the backboard and into the hoop after it spun around the rim twice. "I thought it might be safer that way should I get caught. I wouldn't be able to tell anyone what I didn't know," she told him. "That way they couldn't use them against me." The young witch looked down at her feet as she shuffled them slightly before adding, "Thanks for looking after them...and me."

"They're just as nice as I recall them being," Harry said, casually dismissing her gratitude with a wave of his hand, as the ball flew to his other hand at the beckoning of his magic. "Why didn't you restore their memories?" he enquired as he dribbled to the corner of the court opposite her before taking his shot and once more making it with nothing but net.

Hermione shrugged and instantly regretted it as her shoulder screamed at her. Dribbling the ball she walked out to the free-throw line before turning and eyeing the hoop. "I did a great deal of research on restoring memories," she said, eliciting a snort of mock disbelief from her one time best friend.

"You, studying?" quipped Harry from the side of the court.

"I managed to get you and Ron through your courses. Didn't hear you making comments then, did I?" she asked with a mock threatening glare.

"You're right, you didn't hear us," Harry told her with a slight shrug, "doesn't mean we didn't say anything." Ron and he had in fact commented on the amount of studying their friend had done while at Hogwarts. The entire school had pretty much commented on it! "So what happened?" Harry asked to bring the topic back to her parents.

"A lot of things can go wrong, including severe brain damage," Hermione replied as she bounced the basketball and eyed the rim once more as if calculating her shot. "In the end I couldn't risk it," she confessed. "I had already taken their memories from them and if I hurt them worse I'm not certain how I could have lived with that. The more I worried about it the less sure I became that I could do it. I mean what if I was able to restore Mom's memories but then failed with Dad's? I just couldn't risk it." Using her good arm Hermione tossed the ball up only to have it hit the rim and careen off to the side Harry was on.

Harry jumped over and intercepted the bouncing ball quickly. "Memory charms are tricky business at the best of times. Lockhart found that out the hard way," he reminded her as he dribbled the ball slowly up to the three point line. "Lose your nerve and there is no telling what the spell will do." As any good witch or wizard knew, half of any spell was intent and the will of the caster. If you weren't certain you could perform the magic there was a good chance it would go awry, often with disastrous consequences.

"That's exactly why I couldn't do it. I had these dreams of them both being like Lockhart is," Hermione confessed as she watched him take a shot and once again drop the ball effortlessly through the hoop. "You're pretty good at this, Harry."

"Lots of practice," Harry replied off-handedly. "Winters can be cold in the States. The place I stay at has an indoor court so I spend a lot of time there." Catching the ball as he silently used _Accio_ on it, he walked it over to the witch and handed it to her. "You'd be a lot better if not for your shoulder. I would have thought they would have healed that up for you already?"

"Not from lack of trying," Hermione mumbled a bit louder than she had intended to. "I'm sure they'll figure it out soon," she quickly added in a louder voice as she accepted the ball from him.

"Let me take a look at it," he replied.

"No, that's alright Harry. I'm sure they'll figure it out," Hermione nervously answered as she turned to step away from the all too close wizard.

"Take your shirt off," Harry instructed her in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"What!" the young witch exclaimed as she spun about to face her once best friend. "If you think for one moment that I-"

"I need to see the wound," Harry said cutting her off in mid-sentence. "It was caused by dark magic wasn't it?"

Hermione eyed him for a long minute as she debated what to do. "The healers believe there was dark magic used," she finally admitted, "but they're not certain what the counter is to it yet. What makes you believe you can help where they can't?"

"I fight dark wizards for a living, Hermione," he replied in a slightly exasperated tone. "I think I may know a thing or two about dark magic and how to counter it. I probably know more about dark magic than anyone else alive."

The injured witch cursed her traitorous heart which skipped a beat upon hearing him use her name for the first time. "I...I don't think this is such a good place to get," Hermione paused and had to lick her lips quickly before continuing, "…well I mean…to undress and all, Harry. What if someone happens by?"

Harry paused for a moment, considering her words thoughtfully. Raising his hand he transfigured her shirt into a sleeveless strapless one and her undergarment into a halter-top. "That will have to do," he said as he turned the stunned witch about so that he could see the back of her left shoulder.

Hermione felt the bindings on her wound loosen and fall away. She couldn't keep herself from raising one hand to the left side of her chest to protectively cover the top edge of her transfigured shirt just above her breast. The witch had to close her eyes and bite her lip upon feeling Harry's hand splayed across her bare skin. The warmth of his touch caused her to be all too acutely aware of just how long it had been since there had been anyone in her life. Despite her best efforts, memories of her feelings for the wizard behind her surfaced and made their presence painfully known. "What?" she asked mentally shaking her awareness back to the present as Harry had asked her a question which she had missed completely?

"Were there anything unusual about the wands recovered from the ones who attacked you," Harry asked again, his expression clearly indicating that he was wondering just how much pain the witch must be in to be so distracted.

It was hard to concentrate with Harry's gentle touch on her bare back. For being the most ruthless and deadliest of hit wizards his touch was surprising gentle and soft. More a caress, than the typical diagnostic touch of the healers, which she was more accustom to. "Umm….not that I re….wait, now that you mention it, one of the wands had a small compartment in its base."

"Let me guess, it contained blood from the wand owner?" The witch nodded. "I thought as much. The reason the healers can't heal you is because they aren't treating the correct injury." Seeing the quizzical look Hermione gave him he continued. "I've run into that type of wand before. Wizards like to use them as it is a way to ensure that only you can use your wand and no one else. The blood in the hilt is incorporated into each and every spell. If it's not your blood then the spell won't work or worse yet may even backfire on the caster. The down side is that the blood has to be replenished as it runs out."

Hermione's brows crinkled in thought. "Also due to the blood it would make the spells easily traceable I would guess. Can't say that there would be many witches or wizards willing to risk that. Still, why haven't we heard of these before?"

"I'm not too surprised you haven't," Harry said as he felt around the wound carefully. "They are mostly used in the Ukraine and Russian regions of the world. There's a very nasty breed of witches and wizards over there."

"I can certainly see where it would be convenient to not have to worry about someone using your own wand against you," Hermione replied before gasping in pain as he touched a particularly tender spot. "What does that have to do with my shoulder though?"

"The blood isn't just ordinary blood or your body would have fought it off a long time ago. The body's immune system doesn't take kindly to foreign visitors. No, in this case there is a bit of blood magic involved," he told her, eliciting a gasp of surprise. "The blood magic masks its presence and counteracts the healing magic, thus by allowing the dark magic to work its way deeper."

"What happens if it isn't stopped?" the Inspector asked, intrigued even though it was her own injury they were discussing.

"Left alone it will work its way to the heart and then its game over," Harry replied in a casual tone as if he was discussing the weather.

"B…but you know how to counter it right, Harry?" Hermione enquired. "You've seen it before so you must know how to remove it."

"Relax, Hermione," Harry answered reassuringly as his hand slid up to her bare shoulder and clasped it gently. "I'm not about to let this thing kill you."

Hermione released the breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. The fact that Harry had called her _Hermione_ again didn't escape her notice either. "How do you know all this Harry?"

Harry shrugged dismissively before answered, "In order to defeat your enemy you need to know what he knows so you have an understanding of what you're going up against. Anything less is like going into a fight blindfolded and with your hands tied behind you. Might as well just leave your wand at home."

"Is that how you learned to pull up the ward you did around the SOS hideout or how you can just disappear at will?" she asked curiously.

"No," was the short reply she received in return.

"So where did you learn those at?" the witch pressed, hoping to get as much information as she could now that Harry was talking.

There was a long pause before Harry finally gave her an answer, "I didn't."

Hermione gaffed in disbelief only to turn her head and see the serious expression on the hit wizards face behind her. "Look it's alright if you don't want to tell me, Harry. I understand wanting to keep some things secret. Every hit wizard needs his own bag of tricks."

The silence between them dragged on for several long moments as Harry continued to inspect the injury, trying to locate exactly where the hidden blood magic was hiding itself at. "How do you breathe?"

"What? How do I breathe?" the startled witch parroted the question back at the young wizard. Not certain where he was going with this question she none the less explained the physical aspect of breathing.

"So you consciously tell your lungs and the muscles around them to expand and contract for each and every breath? How can you do that when you're sleeping?" Harry queried when she was finished.

"Well, not consciously," Hermione clarified. "The human body just knows that it needs to and so it does."

"There are things that I can do that are like that," Harry told her. "I don't know how I do them, I just know that I need to do them and I do, or my magic does."

"When did that start, Harry?" Hermione asked wanting to better understand.

"Shortly after Voldemort died," Harry confessed. "I started to know things that I never knew before. I would wake up and know a spell I had never seen or used previously. I think that while Tom and I were connected his knowledge somehow made its way to me through the link that we shared, though I didn't know it at the time."

"Possibly his subconscious kept the knowledge from you, much as yours now allows you to use it," Hermione offered. "Once the link between you was severed the knowledge slowly started to work itself free."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I came to the same conclusion," he told her. "I can remove this but it isn't going to feel very good," he stated, changing topics.

"Just get it out of me, Harry!" was the witch's sharp response. All his poking and prodding, regardless of how gentle he had been, had caused her shoulder to start to throb.

Accioing a branch to him, Harry transfigured it into a thick piece of rubber. "Bite down on this," he instructed her as he passed the item to her.

The next few minutes were without a doubt the most painful of her life. There were times she screamed till she thought she'd injure her vocal cords and other moments where she begged through pain induced tears for him to stop. If not for the fact that Harry had paralyzed her from the neck down she would have decked him much as she had Malfoy and ran away. At the end of it all the world's most feared hit wizard had a small black snake with a red stripe dangling from the end of his wand.

Summoning the basketball, which had been dropped and forgotten during the spell extraction, Harry transfigured it into a clear globe before depositing the black and red snake into it where is floated in the center as if the globe was filled with a clear liquid.

Hermione tried to fight against the pain in her shoulder. It felt as if someone had shoved a very jagged branch into it and then rooted around for a bit before setting the branch on fire while it was still in her shoulder. It was only due to Harry's strong arm around her that she didn't immediately drop to the ground when he removed the paralysis spell from her body. With the wizard's assistance she made it to a nearby bench and sat down before her legs could give out on her. As Harry moved to stand behind her, to clean up the mess he had made of her shoulder, she could do little more than glare at him.

Harry began a healing chant he had learned once while in Africa. The wizard knew it would quickly dull the pain with the added benefit of insuring that the recipient would be asleep within thirty minutes to an hour. As the wound began to close up the dark-haired wizard called a leather satchel to him that had been sitting off to the side out of the way and promptly removed fresh bandages and several salves. "I'm no Madam Pomfrey," he told her as he covered the area with a floral scented salve. "Can't promise that it won't scar, however this should minimize it as much as possible."

"Not like anyone will see," Hermione mumbled back in way of reply. Now that the pain had finally stopped she was finding herself incredibly drained. "Small price to pay for still being alive if you ask me," the witch added in a louder and hopefully stronger tone.

Harry walked around to the front of her and kneeling down he began covering the wound on that side as well. The piercing curse had gone clear through the shoulder. "I thought you were going to belt me one there for a moment," he told her as the corners of his mouth turned upwards slightly in a suppressed grin.

"I thought about it," Hermione admitted to him. "I guess I'll save that for the Malfoy's of the world."

"That's still one of my bloody favorite memories from Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed, full on smiling. The first smile Hermione had seen from him in over a decade. "The look on the little gits face was priceless! I still can't believe you hit him like that."

"The little shite had it coming and then some," the injured witch exclaimed past the grin on her face.

"I won't deny that," Harry replied as he finished applying the cream and started wrapping her shoulder with a clean bandage he took from the satchel.

"We had some good times while there, didn't we Harry?" Hermione asked a bit wistfully, recalling their time at Hogwarts. There wasn't hardly a single memory she had that didn't include the dark haired wizard currently tending to her. Looking up, she watched as Harry worked on her shoulder making certain it was properly dressed so that no dirt could get in and cause infection.

"Sure, I guess," he replied absently as he concentrated on the task at hand till it was done. Once finished he turned and sat upon the bench beside her and started to put away the items he had used. "Why didn't you come back, Hermione?" Harry finally asked as the silence stretched on between them.

"To what?" Hermione asked with little emotion. "The Ministry had its hero in you and the war was over. Ron and I knew from that one kiss in the Chamber that we were more like brother and sister than anything else. There really wasn't a need for me anymore, Harry! My parents needed me though, so I came here to find them. When I couldn't bring myself to attempt to restore their memories," the young witch shrugged as much as she could with her shoulder securely bandaged.

"So you decided to stay and forget about the rest of us," he said in an accusing tone.

"They're family, Harry! I would think you of all people would know how important family is!" the angered witch spat back defensively. "I didn't want to lose mine…they're all I have," she added in a more even tone, the anger flowing out of her as quickly as it had come. The silence between them stretched on for several long minutes.

"You know, I would have come with you had you asked?" Harry finally said as he placed the last of the items into the satchel and zipped it closed. "Or you could have come back and gotten me to help you."

Hermione snorted humorously at his words. "I may have been able to pry you away from the Ministry but I knew there would be no way Ginny would have let you run off with another woman. Even if it was just me." The witch shook her head slowly from side to side. "She had waited far too long to have you all to herself to have been willing to let you go."

Harry chuckled softly for a second before replying, "Yeah, she was a little on the possessive side wasn't she?"

Reaching out Hermione took Harry's hand in hers and held it tightly. "I…I just learned what happened…to the Weasleys," she told him only to feel his hand in hers go rigid along with the rest of his body. "I'm so sorry Harry. I know you would have loved her like no other. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me."

Harry stood, extracting his hand from hers in the process, and moved a few feet away where he stood with his back to her. "I was supposed to be there that night," he finally said without turning to face her. "Ginny and Ron both had asked me to be there. I had planned on being there even. Maybe if I had been things would have been different."

Hermione rose and walked up behind him, slipping her good arm around his waist from behind and resting her cheek on the back of his shoulder as she hugged him from behind. "The only difference that would have made Harry would be that I would have lost both my best friends instead of just one, that night. You can't save everyone, Harry Potter."

"I…I can't help but feel that I could have made a difference. Maybe if I had been there instead of...instead of not being there, I could have saved them," was his quick pain filled response.

The sorrow and guilt in his voice tore at her heart. This was her Harry. The boy who despite the odds and everything life had thrown at him had still bravely marching into the Forbidden Forest to die at the hands of a lunatic. This was her Harry that cared too much not to do something no matter the personal cost to himself.

The observant portion of her mind didn't miss his hesitation when he mentioned not being there the night of the attack which took the lives of the entire Weasley family. She knew that there was something he was keeping from her. Something from the tone of his voice that told her whatever it was he was using it to blame what happened on himself. "I'm sure it couldn't be helped, Harry," she offered quietly in an effort to console him.

Whatever reply Harry was going to give was halted by someone behind them clearing his throat. "Sorry to intrude," Agent Willis offered apologetically. "Archangel, it's time."

Harry and Hermione stepped away from each other and turned to regard the MIB Agent. "Time?" Hermione asked looking between to the two wizards.

"We've located another group of the SOS members," Harry told her, once more all business and no emotions. "Smith is there right now. I have to go. Please see Inspector Granger home safely," he told the MIB Agent.

Before Hermione could do little more than open her mouth, Harry was gone. "Does he always do that?" Hermione asked with a frustrated sigh.

"Pretty much," Agent Willis replied with a small smile. "If you'll follow me, Ma`am," he added with a gesture of his arm to indicate where the waiting SUV was.

Hermione just shook her head slightly before taking the floating globe with its captive snake and following his lead after Willis retrieved Harry's leather satchel. Once they were seated in the vehicle Hermione asked, "Can you take me to the Wilkins please? I need to relieve Jess."

The drive to the home of the dentists passed in relative silence till they were almost there. "Few people know who Archangel is," Willis told her. "He doesn't like the attention that goes with his real name."

"I well recall how much he hated the fame and how everyone that met him always stared at the famous lightning bolt scare," she replied. "His secret is safe with me."

"He makes certain that the strap from the eye patch covers that," Willis informed her of in case she hadn't noticed on her own already. "You're the first person I've ever heard to call him Harry."

"He'll always be just _Harry_ to me," she told the Agent quietly.

Willis nodded once, accepting her words at face value. "I think it's important that he can be _Just Harry_ with someone, Ma`am. I think having you around him will do him some good, _has_ done him some good. Maybe it will remind him what it is like to live."

"He was much different when we attended Hogwarts together," she confessed. "Oh he was still fairly guarded and protective of others. Even at the cost of himself. I see that hasn't changed much."

"I don't know, Ma`am," Willis replied. "This is the first time I've seen him go out of his way to protect someone, other than a child, since I've been with him. First you and then the Wilkins. Whatever it is you mean to him, I think the change in him is a good one."

Hermione turned and stared out the window, having no reply to the agents comment. _What I mean to Harry? Do I even mean anything to him after all this time? An entire decade has passed since we last saw each other!_ Recalling how they had talked and the relaxed air that seemed to be about them as they shot baskets and then sat beside each other she really wasn't sure what to make of it all. _It seemed like old time…as if no time had passed at all since last we saw one another. Harry even seemed to loosen up._

The SUV stopping before their destination halted any further thoughts on the subject for the moment. With a few words of thanks the witch stepped out of the vehicle and made her way up the front steps only to be greeted at the door by the buxom blonde. "It's about time, Granger!" the irate witch exclaimed as she stepped out onto the porch. "I was supposed to be at work an hour ago!"

"Sorry, Jess," Hermione apologized. "Something came up. Can you have the lab take a look at this?" she asked, passing the globe and it red and black snake over to the witch before her.

"What is it?" Jess asked as she held the globe up peering into it in the dim lighting from the porch light.

"A curse that H…Archangel pulled from my shoulder," Hermione told her unconsciously shifting her shoulder. "A mixture of dark magic and blood magic," she told the blonde witch who whistled softly in appreciation of the spell work.

"Sure," Jess replied as she lowered the globe. "Anything else?"

"No. Thanks for staying with them," Hermione offered before stepping past the buxom witch. "Oh wait," she suddenly said turning back to face the departing witch. "You read over the report on the Weasley incident right?" Seeing the witch nod she continued. "Was there any mention of a Harry Potter?"

"Funny you should mention that as there was. How'd you know?" Jess enquired.

"He was friends with the Weasleys, same as I was," Hermione replied. "I thought he might have been there with them."

"Well, he was supposed to be there according to the report. There was speculation that he was actually the target of the attack in the first place," Jess told her. "However at the time of the attack he was on an airplane apparently."

"Really?" Hermione asked in disbelief, wondering if Harry blamed himself due to the suspicion that the attack was aimed at him rather than the Weasleys. _What could have been important enough for Harry to miss New Years with the mother of his child,_ she pondered to herself. "Did the report mention where he was traveling to?"

"Yeah, get this, apparently he was on his way here at the time," the blonde witch said. "As soon as he landed he was escorted to a secure area and given an international portkey back to their Ministry of Magic office in London. Small world huh?"

"Yeah, small world," Hermione agreed in stunned detachment as her mind reeled at the implications of the girl's words. _Was Harry coming here to find me? Why would he? Am I the reason Harry wasn't there when the attack took place? Is that why he feels so guilty and blames himself for what happened to the Weasleys?_ The weight of the questions running through her mind suddenly made the witch feel dead on her feet. _  
_

The blonde witch turned and jumped down the stairs from the porch before waving over her shoulder and apparating away without Hermione even noticing her departure.


	6. Chapter 6

"How's it look?" Harry enquired, appearing suddenly next to the MIB agent and startling him. It was a long running game between the two of them and Harry just managed to keep the corners of his mouth from turning upwards into a grin upon hearing the agent swear.

"Damn it! I wish you'd stop doing that," Agent Willis griped, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. "I swear one of these days you're going to give me a heart attack!"

"That's why they only allow the younger agents to go on missions with me," Harry quipped. Both chose to ignore that fact that if it were any other Agents other than Smith and Willis, Harry wouldn't have just appeared out of thin air as he had. That was just another part of the game they played. Hunting and killing Dark Wizards was a terrible business, and so they each took their enjoyment where they could get it.

"Did he get you again?" Smith asked as he walked up with a knowing grin upon his face, not trying to hide his laughter at the other's expense one bit. The younger agent gave a slightly crestfallen look and simply nodded in way of answering. "Don't worry," Smith replied sagely to his partner, "you eventually get used to it."

Seeing the hopeful look in Willis' eyes Harry couldn't help but clarify for the man. "He means you get used to getting got, not me appearing out of thin air right next to you."

Agent Willis groaned upon seeing an agreeing nod from his partner. Feeling it would be in his best interest to change the subject, he did just that. "Nothing has changed since I arrived," Willis explained, replying to Harry's initial question. After the MIB agent had dropped Hermione at the Wilkins place he had headed straight for where Smith and the others were.

Harry looked down the street once again at the muggle bar they were currently staking out. Trent Davis and three others had been seen entering the establishment. There were apparently no magical wards in place, not surprising given that it was a muggle business and all. "I don't like it," the world's deadliest hit wizard said, all emotion gone from his face as he slipped into the persona of his call sign, Archangel. "Why here of all places," he asked rhetorically as none of them had an answer.

"We could see if TASS would be willing to loan us a few people we could send in to scope the place out?" Smith offered as a suggestion only to see Harry start to walk down the street towards the establishment. "Angel, where are you going?"

Harry turned around to face his MIB handlers while changing to walking backwards towards the bar. "Never trust someone else to do what you can do yourself," he told them before turning back around and continuing on his way.

"We really shouldn't let him go in there alone like that. There are a lot of non-magicals about that could get hurt in the spell fire," Willis said as they watched Harry walk down the street.

Smith looked at the younger man and smirked. "You want to tell him that?"

"Be advised, Archangel is entering the premises," Willis said into his communication device to alert the rest of their team.

"Was it just me or did he seem to be in a really good mood just now?" Smith asked his partner.

"Almost jovial," Willis replied in way of confirmation. "I've never seen him like that before."

"I don't know if I should be relieved or scared," Smith quipped as they watched the topic of their discussion enter the bar down the street.

Harry stepped into the establishment and took a vacant seat at bar, ordering a beer when the bar tender walked over to see what he could serve him. As he took a long sip of the dark beverage he surveyed the room in the reflection of the mirror behind the bar. There were a number of locals scattered about the place. Those he quickly discounted. In the far corner there was a group of four men, undoubtedly his targets.

Harry had only made it halfway through his beer when one of the blokes from the corner got up and walked over, taking the seat beside him. "You're a long way from home, mate," the man said in a phony Aussie accent.

"One could say the same of you," Harry replied dryly without even turning to regard the man. "That fake accent wouldn't even fool a muggle tourist…mate." Harry managed to make that last sound like a taunt.

The man chuckled softly. "He said you wouldn't be fooled. I guess I'll have to keep working on it then."

"I take it then that he isn't here?" Harry asked, setting his glass of beer down on the bar. Seeing the man shake his head only confirmed what he had already suspected. Davis wasn't about to boldly walk into a muggle bar after all. It was all just too easy he reasoned. "Polyjuice?" Harry asked, realizing how they had been duped.

"Right in one, mate!" the man replied, a grin stretching his lips across his face. "Now before you do anything rash I have something I want to show you," the man stated as he pulled something out of his pocket and showed it discreetly to Harry. "If you're as good as they say you are then I'm sure you know what this is."

Harry did little more than glance at the device before giving a slight nod. "Soviet made remote detonator. Mark VII model I believe," he added as he took another sip of his beer.

"Right in one again, mate! Once activated, as it is now, should my finger come off of the trigger even for a second…well, let's just say that those teeth doctor friends of yours won't be fixing any teeth no more," the man said with a wicked grin.

"Dentists," Harry corrected. "They're called dentists."

"As if I care what they're called," the man snorted. "They're filthy muggles and that's all they are to me."

Harry decided to let the matter go for the time being. "So what's the game plan?" he enquired.

"You and I, along with my chums," he started with, giving a slight tilt of his head to indicate the other three men in the corner, "are going to take a little trip. We'll be doing so without your friends outside. If they make any attempt at stopping us or following, well," the man chuckled evilly, "they'll be picking those dentist's teeth out of the rubble of their house." The man chuckled at his own apparent wit.

Harry quickly drained the remainder of his drink before setting the glass down. "Well then we'd best be about it." The man gave a slightly startled look at how easily the most feared hit wizard gave into his demands. "I suspect you don't want to keep your boss waiting, now do you?" Harry asked as he slid off of his stool and stood.

The man with the detonator stood and motioned for the other three SOS members to join them. Once they had walked over he led the way to the door, with Harry walking behind him. "Don't try anything funny now," the man warned over his shoulder just before stepping out the door.

"Let me go talk to my people," Harry requested. Seeing the man hesitate he quickly added, "You've clearly got the upper hand. I just want to make certain they don't do anything stupid as you requested."

"Fine," the man agreed with a smug grin. "Then you won't mind if we tag along with you just to be certain will you?"

"Not at all," Harry replied with a slight shrug indicating that he didn't care one way of the other. They made their way down the street till they neared the location where Harry knew the MIB Agents were. "You might as well show yourselves. They already know you're there." The MIB agents dropped their disillusionment charms.

"You've seemed to have made friends rather quickly, Angel?" Smith stated as he eyed the others with Harry.

"Yes, well these nice gentlemen invited me over for a spot of tea," Harry replied. "I found their offer a bit hard to refuse." Willis winced, having caught site of the detonator in the hand of the man next to Harry. "Tooth still bothering you, mate? I told you that you should have the Wilkins take a look at that for you."

"Maybe when we're done here," Willis replied.

"See that you do," Harry said. "In the meantime try not to do anything stupid like trying to follow us. I'm certain my host will not look kindly upon unwanted guests."

Smith nodded once and watched as Harry walked off with the four men and climbed into a van parked in front of the bar. As soon as the van drove off and was out of sight the MIB agent quickly retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the required number. "Damn, she's not answering," Smith swore as two black SUV's rolled up and he and Willis climbed in.

"Perhaps she's asleep," Willis offered as he slipped into the passenger seat, closing the door behind him just before the vehicle took off.

"The Wilkins' home and don't spare the speed," Smith told the driver. "Let us hope so," the agent said in way of reply to his partner. "I'm not certain what Archangel would do if someone tried to harm Inspector Granger."

"Given what he did at her apartment I don't think they would be long for this world," Willis offered as they sped through late night traffic in a manner that was reminiscent of the Knight Bus back in England.

**-oOo-**

Hermione looked in the mirror for the thousandth time, making yet another minute adjustment to her hair. This was the first time she had ever worn her hair up in this fashion and she was worried that her date wouldn't like it. The young witch had agonized over every little detail this day while preparing herself, wanting everything to be perfect. From the manner in which her hair curled, trailing down across one shoulder elegantly, to the periwinkle-blue dress and the light cosmetic touches to her face. The color of the dress was due to her date once commenting on how the color looked pretty on her when she had been trying on shawls during one Hogsmeade weekend.

_It's not every day you get escorted by a Champion_ , she mused silently to herself as she frowned at the image in the mirror, unsatisfied with what she saw there. "Nothing to do about it now," she sighed forlornly as she turned away from the looking glass that told her she looked lovely. "Hopefully he won't go running for the woods at the first site of me." Quickly making her way through the passageway and down the stairs she hurried to reach the Great Hall before she could lost her nerve.

Descending the stairs she made her way along to hallways, weaving through the other celebrants who were there awaiting their own dates. Hermione smiled and nodded quick greetings to those she knew as she made her way towards the entry way to the Great Hall. The brunette witch saw him before he saw her. _He cleans up rather nicely_ , she thought to herself as she paused and allowed herself to give him the once over. _Very nicely indeed!_

If she had doubted that he would like the dress or what she had done with her hair, her fears died as soon as he turned and saw her. The look on the wizards face was a mixture of shock, disbelief, fear and longing. Several moments passed as she drank in the adorable look upon his face, before she took pity on him and closed the distance between them. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. You look rather fetching in your new robes," she offered with a sincere smile only to have to stifle a chuckle as he blushed at her compliment.

"You look…," the wizard had to pause and swallow heavily before he could continue, "very very…" the poor boy became flustered and just sort of trailed off, unable to finish whatever he was going to say.

Hermione smiled sweetly, pleased by his reaction as it was everything she had hoped for. _The poor dear is gobsmacked_. "Hmmm? Very what?" she asked to prod him on.

"Amazing," the wizard breathed ethereally only to realize what he said. "Pretty! I mean you're very, very pretty!" he stammered.

Hermione could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks but was saved from replying as their names were called. They were soon lined up with the other Champions and their dates just outside the doors to the Great Hall. Slipping her hand into the crook of her date's elbow she didn't have long to wait till the Headmaster started to announce the couples.

"Miss Hermione Granger, escorted by Mr. Harry Potter!" the Headmaster's voice rang out which was the queue for them to proceed into the great Hall.

The rest of the Yule ball passed in little more than a blur to the young witch. Harry seemed to only have eyes for her. The entire night was as if it was some sort of dream or fairytale. More than once during the course of the night she had found herself getting lost in those emerald orbs that always seemed to be watching her whenever she turned to look in Harry's direction.

The night finally wound down and it was the last dance, a slow number being played by the band. Hermione found herself in Harry's arms upon the dance floor. Their bodies were far closer together than they had ever been while practicing dancing under the watchful eye of Professor McGonagall, not that Hermione minded in the least. Harry's hand on the small of her back however, was making it hard to remember to move her feet.

"Hermione," Harry's soft voice spoke into her ear as his cheek rested gently against the side of her head. "I want to thank you for tonight. I can't think of anyone I would rather be here with than you."

Lifting her chin from his shoulder she smiled at him and gazed into his eyes, instantly losing herself in them. "Harry, I'm the lucky one. I'm certain most of the girls here would give anything to be in my place right now," Hermione told him, unconsciously running her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.

"None of them can compare to you, Hermione," Harry told her earnestly.

"You always say the sweetest things, Harry," she replied, an affectionate soft smile on her face.

"There is something I've been wanting to do all evening," Harry told her, pausing to lick his lips quickly. "If I don't do it now I'll probably lose my nerve," he added with a small nervous chuckle.

"It's alright, Harry," she told him, suddenly feeling her pulse begin to race. "You can do it, Harry. I trust you," she said as she tilted her head up towards Harry, her lips slightly parted expectantly. As Hermione's eyes slowly began to close she could see Harry lowering his lips towards her. _Finally! It's finally going to happen! We're going to kiss! About bloody time!_

"Granger."

As Harry's lips drew closer she could feel the moist heat of his breath as it brushed across her lips.

"Granger."

"Go away," Hermione growled as her eyes closed till they were only open a sliver.

"Granger."

Their noses touched, softly brushing against each other's and causing the breath to hitch in her throat. _Just a second more_ , she thought gleefully, having waited for this moment for four years!

"Granger!"

"What!" Hermione snapped, her eyes popping open as she turned her head to the side to see who was interrupting perhaps the most perfect moment of her young life. "Jess?" she asked in a quizzical tone upon seeing the blonde witch leaning over her from the side of the bed.

The buxom witch grinned. "I almost didn't wake you. You were moaning and wiggling about saying something about it being bloody time and all. I wanted to see how the dream ended," she added with a lecherous leer.

"A few more minutes and it would have been a happy ending," Hermione quipped angrily just before she realized something. "What are you doing here?"

Jess' expression sobered up instantly as she recalled why she was there. "We have to get you out of here right now," she told Hermione, reaching out to help the witch get up. "Some of the SOS boys managed to get the drop on Archangel. Apparently before he left with them he told Smith and Willis that they needed to get here as quickly as possible."

Hermione was quickly out of bed and throwing on clothes before the witch with her had even finished explaining. "Mom and Dad?"

"They're safe. I got them out first," Jess told her, causing the brunette witch to sigh in relief. "Apparently one of the SOS members had a remote detonation device of some kind."

"Are any of our people familiar with explosives enough to locate and disarm them?" Hermione asked as she pulled on her boots and stood up only to see her fellow TASS member shake her head. "I didn't think so. That means we'll have to call in the non-magical bomb squad."

"I'll make the call and start getting things organized so we can begin to evacuate the neighborhood," Jess said as she turned to head out of the room with Hermione right on her heels.

"Do we know what happened to Archangel?" the Inspector asked.

"Only that he left with them in a van," Jess told her. "We're searching for it now but so far no luck."

"Alright, I want a full spectrum surveillance net up," Hermione ordered in a no-nonsense tone. "If someone sneezes and conjures so much as a hanky I want to know about it!"

"Roger, Boss," Jess replied as they walked through the front door and down the porch steps. "It will be up in fifteen minutes."

"You've got five," Hermione demanded. "We're already late in the game and can't afford any further delays." The TASS member simply nodded and disapparited away to see to it.

"Where are the Wilkins?" Hermione asked as she drew near to the black SUV parked in front of the house, the flashing lights atop it painting her face alternately red and blue.

Smith looked up from the map he was regarding and gave Hermione a slight nod before replying. "I thought it would be best to get them as far away from here as possible. Right now they should be checking into the InterContinental Hotel with a view overlooking the bay and the Opera house."

"I'm sure they will appreciate that. Thank you," she told the MIB agent who simply nodded once again. "Any news on Archangel yet?"

"The tracker has him heading west," Smith told her.

"I'm surprised they didn't remove the tracking charm," Hermione mused aloud.

"They can't if they want him alive, which I think Davis does," Smith told her only to see her give him a questioning look. "The tracking device is not magical. It's electronic and it's imbedded inside him. They would have to cut him open to get to it."

"Let's hope that all they check for are magical tracers then," Hermione replied. It went without saying that the group they were dealing with were no strangers to non-magical devices. The fact that they had a remote detonation device gave evidence to that fact.

Smith simply nodded in agreement before asking, "What's west of here?"

"A great deal till you get to Penrith," Hermione told him. "After that you get into a whole lot of open country." Before Smith could say anything there was the crack of an Apparition and Jess was back. "Is it up?" Hermione enquired.

Jess gave a curt nod. "Do we know which way they headed? If we do we can narrow the search."

"They're heading west so I would guess the M4 or the Western," Hermione replied. "Bomb squad?"

"I called it in and they should be here as soon as they can get here," she informed her boss. The blonde witch's eyes unfocused as she manipulated the magical surveillance net to focus in that direction. "We're using a gas leak excuse to evacuate the surrounding area," Jess added absently, keeping most of her attention on the magical net.

It was another thirty minutes before the bomb squad arrived. Through the use of a mechanical robot they did a slow but thorough search of the main floor of the residence. Three hours later the bomb was located in the basement tucked under the gas line. The bomb disposal squad moved in to attempt to deactivate the bomb. They had only been in the house for fifteen minutes before they all came out and started to remove their gear. The leader, a veteran of his profession for many years, approached Hermione and Smith.

"Beggin your pardon, Inspector," the older man said, "But I think you're going to want to see this."

Hermione looked questioningly at Smith for a moment before turning back to the police officer. "Officer Reiley, wasn't it?" Seeing the man nod, indicating that she was right, she continued. "Is there a bomb or not?"

"Oh there's a bomb alright," Reiley assured her.

"So you disarmed it then?" Hermione stated only to see the man shake his head.

"It was already disarmed…or at least it was rendered inactive." Seeing their questioning looks he turned, motioning for them to follow him. The three made their way back inside the house and down into the basement. "There's you're bomb, Inspector," he said, pointing to a small stack of object that had C4 written on the outside of them. "And there's the detonator," the man added pointing off to the side.

Stuck to the wall was an electronic detonation device attached to a rather large potato which appeared to be stuck to the wall.

"If you look closely," Reiley said, leaning down and pointing to the top of the pile of blocks of C4, "you can see where the detonation device was attached to the C4 originally. Someone, at some point, removed it and stuck it in that potato." The aged veteran raised one hand and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know how they could have done that though as any attempt to move the bomb should have set it off. They'd have to be the best bomb tech I've ever seen to pull this off."

Smith and Hermione exchanged knowing looks, having a good idea just who was responsible for it. "Is it dangerous as it is?" Hermione enquired.

"No, Ma`am," Reiley replied.

"Good. So you can removed it then. Thanks for your time," Hermione said, turn to head back upstairs.

"Oh we can remove the C4, right enough," Reiley informed her of, "but the detonator is another story. We're not exactly certain how it is fastened to the wall," he added sheepishly, embarrassed to admit such a thing.

Hermione quickly realized that if Harry had placed it there with a sticky charm it was unlikely that they would be able to remove it any time soon. "Leave the detonator for now," she told Reiley, "and just get the C4 out of here."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Smith asked as the two of them climbed the stairs to the main floor.

"He wanted them to take him," Hermione replied. "He had already disarmed the bomb and so knew it wasn't a threat."

Smith grunted in agreement. "Which means…,"

"He's going after Davis on his own," the witch stated, finishing his sentence for him. "The damn fool," she cursed under her breath.

"Granger!" Jess hollered, running up to them as they walked out of the house. "We lost them," she said, coming to stop. "They were going down the Western Highway. They were there one moment and then suddenly they were gone!"

Smith suddenly raised a hand to his ear, a sign Hermione recognized as him listening to something in his ear piece. "We've lost him as well," Smith finally told them. "They turned off the main road and had gone a little ways and then suddenly they were gone."

Hermione chewed her bottom lip absently as worry for Harry began to gnaw at her stomach. "Jess, I want you to go back to the office an see if you can dig up anything of interest in that area that could account for them disappearing like that. Agent Smith, why don't you and I go for a little drive."


	7. Chapter 7

"Does he always go off on his own like this?" Hermione asked as the SUV pulled away from the curb. _If this had been one of my people they would be looking at a transfer out of the department at least, if not a change of employment_ , the worried witch thought to herself. She quickly recalled that this wasn't just anyone they were discussing. This was the most feared hit wizard in the world. _Damn you, Harry!_

Smith shrugged without taking his eyes off the road. It was just the two of them in the vehicle as Willis had remained behind with Jess to coordinate the joint search efforts between MIB and TASS. "Only a time or two," the wizard admitted. "Usually when he knows he's close to his next target."

"Davis," Hermione offered rhetorically, neither expecting an answer nor getting one. "This is about revenge then," she stated, rather than asked.

"Possibly," Smith offered, inclined to agree with the witch seated next to him. "In the past when he's acted on his own the higher-ups have looked the other way. They value his services far too greatly to not let him have these few excursions when they arise. Angel probably sees this more as justice rather than revenge though I think."

Hermione snorted humorlessly upon hearing his words. "Justice. The excuse most people use to validate their actions. If it were truly justice then there would a trial, and due process by people other than us, who would then decide their fates." The young witch chewed her lower lip, a nervous habit she'd had her entire life and tried to break without much success so far.

_If someone had murdered my child would I be able to pursue them in the name of justice?_ She asked herself. As much as she would have liked to assure herself that she would have, a tiny voice in the back of her head argued that she would want revenge, pure and simple. Sadly she knew the voice to be true. While taking a life in payment for another could never bring back the one already lost, she knew there had to be a certain satisfaction in preventing the perpetrator from doing the same thing again to someone else.

_Harry has lost so much already_ , she thought as she struggled to come to terms with it all. _His parents killed when he was but an infant. His childhood was loveless, while bordering on criminally abusive, all at the hands of his relatives. Six years spent under the heavy weight of a prophecy and the repeated murder attempts of a homicidal dark wizard._ Turning to look out her window the witch had to blink rapidly several times.

_If not for the Weasleys taking him in and showing him love Harry probably would have been lost a long time ago_ , the witch mused as she looked back on the life of her friend. _We nearly lost him when Sirius died during that ill-fated rescue attempt at the Ministry of Magic._ Hermione recalled just how hollow and broken the boy of then had appeared. It wouldn't have taken much more for Harry to just have given up. Sadly she wouldn't have faulted him had he done just that.

_Everyone Harry gets close to seems to perish_ , she thought as she recalled the fate of Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks as well as that of the Headmaster. Hermione's heart ached for her friend as it always had when considering the life that had been forced upon her friend. _He even lost the Weasleys!_

Many lives had been lost or shattered in that final battle that had taken place on the grounds of Hogwarts. In the end they had won, saving Britain and arguably the world as well, but at a heavy cost. There were now many graves that resided on the grounds of Hogwarts, arrayed next to that of Albus Dumbledore's memorial tomb.

_He's lost two families_ , the graduate of Hogwarts sorrowfully realized, with the deaths of the Weasleys. The witch couldn't help feeling guilty recalling her comment about understanding just how important her family was to her. _At least I still have mine_. _Harry's lost all of his, even Sirius, his godfather._ As she pondered past events a sudden startling thought occurred to her. _I'm perhaps the last_. The witch's eyes grew slightly larger as she unconsciously sat up straighter as the implications of her discovery suddenly sunk in. _I'm the only one left that was truly close to Harry at Hogwarts._

_Is that why?_ She puzzled, chasing the errant thought down the proverbial rabbit hole. _Of all the people Harry has ever become close with, I'm the last one alive still. Is that why he's kept his distance?_ Hermione could easily see Harry staying away from her if it meant that she wouldn't suffer the same fate as the others. _It would be just like him to assume everything was due to him!_ Truth be told, the witch had found Harry's martyrdom tendencies while in school to be both endearing as well as woefully frustrating.

Hermione thought back over their years at Hogwarts. Even then Harry had few friends, she recalled. There were plenty such as Dean Thomas or Seamus Finnigan who Harry was acquainted with but were not really close to The-Boy-Who-Lived. It was a sad realization to come to that she was in fact the last and that so many that she had called friend were now gone.

"I don't believe Angel is doing this just for justice or even for revenge," Smith offered after the silence had hung between them for several long minutes.

"Then why?" Hermione asked, turning to regard the MIB agent that was driving, her curiosity roused.

Smith's brow creased as he tried to recall something. "There were rumors," he said slowly when he finally replied. "Back when Angel first joined MIB. A great deal of speculation voiced as to the reason he was there in the first place. If any of the rumors were ever confirmed it was above my pay grade to know," he told her. "From certain things Angel has said from time to time though I think one of the rumors might be true."

"What rumor?" Hermione asked, finding the agents roundabout way of getting to the point wearing on her nerves at the moment. "What did they say?" she pressed heatedly.

"It was rumored that Angel was contracted to hunt down those that were involved in what happened in England," Smith informed her.

"Contracted?" Hermione parroted as she started to chew on her lower lip, which she did when in deep thought or emotionally stressed.

Smith gave a sharp nod. "I believe across the pond they call it an unbreakable vow."

Hermione gasped, "An unbreakable vow! Who would Harry possibly swear that to if all the Weasleys were gone?"

Smith kept his eyes on the road, weaving his way through traffic which was moving far too slowly for his liking. Though he hid the fact well, he was worried recalling that the last time Angel had gone off the reservation like this it had taken a team of medical witches a month to patch the hit wizard up. "I don't know the people involved well enough to say. There was however, mention of a French woman who wasn't there that night."

"Fleur," Hermione said to herself in little more than a whisper after a few moments of thought. Seeing the MIB agent glance over at her sharply before returning his eyes to the road, she repeated in a louder tone. "Fleur Delacour…or Weasley now. She married Bill Weasley during the war with Voldemort. Why wasn't she at the Burrow that night?"

"I never really looked into it," Smith replied. "It doesn't really change anything does it?"

"No," Hermione replied with a slow shake of her head. "Harry probably would have gone after them regardless," she reasoned aloud. "The Weasleys were his second family. They took him in and showed him love at a time in his life when he was in desperate need of it. Still, to swear an Unbreakable…" her words trailed off in disbelief.

Smith nodded in agreement with her assessment of the situation, believing she knew the hit wizard perhaps better than her did. Angel, despite the few games they played for amusement, had remained closed off from him and the other MIB agents in their detail. Smith had never seen the hit wizard more animated, more alive, than he did when in the company of the witch next to him. "If someone murdered my family I think I would be hard pressed to want only justice," he told Hermione.

Hermione arched a brow as she looked over to regard the wizard with her. "You have a family?" she asked in a surprised tone of voice.

The MIB agent chuckled at her tone. "A wife and two daughters," he told her, a smile spreading across his face. "The three best things to ever happen to me," he added in a loving tone.

Hermione smiled upon hearing the warmth in his words. 'I just never thought….," her words trailed off.

"There's more to life than killing dark wizards, Inspector," Smith said, his tone suddenly becoming serious. "In our line of work we grow old quicker than most do. Perhaps it is from all the death we witness or cause…it take a heavy toll upon us both physically as well as mentally. If you don't have a bit of happiness to hold onto it is easy to forget what we're fighting for. Those who do that usually become the enemy."

_Happiness?_ Hermione chewed her lower lip as she turned to regard the passing scenery outside the vehicle as it sped along the Western highway. _What's my bit of happiness?_ As soon as she asked herself that question she realized that it was having her parents with her. Even if they didn't remember that she was their actual daughter, just being a part of their lives brought her great happiness. _I wonder what's Harry's happiness?_

"I think Angel has forgotten or lost his happiness," Smith cut into her thoughts with as if reading her mind. "Back home he is all work and no play. It is rare to see him smile, rarer still to hear him laugh. He has no friends, though not from others lack of trying to get close. He makes certain to keep us all at arm's length. He has little to smile about I guess," Smith said morosely.

"I've seen him smiling plenty of times since you arrived here," Hermione replied with an aporetic timbre to her voice. "I even heard him laugh when we were playing basketball." Smith shot her a pointed look but refrained from saying anything before turning back to mind the road.

"You mean he's not always like that?" she asked only to see the agent give a brief shake of his head. "The Harry I knew always had a smile to give. Ron and I used to laugh all the time with him," she stated in a thoughtful voice. The silence stretch for several long moments as the witch recalled how the three of them used to be inseparable.

"Perhaps then," Smith's deep baritone voice cut into her thoughts once again, "like now, it is the company he is keeping?"

Hermione stared at the wizard for a long moment before looking away as she contemplated his words. Suddenly she once again found herself back within the hospital room, holding a small bandaged hand in her own. Slowly she lifted her eyes till they beheld the petite girl who lay upon the hospital bed. Hermione quickly glanced about only to see Harry standing and looking out the room's only window.

" _It's alright Hermione_ ," spoke a soft voice within the witch's head.

"Sara? How is this possible?" asked a bewildered Hermione after turning back to regard the girl who had passed away over a week ago. There was no logical way she could be back in the hospital bed with Harry so close at hand.

" _I guess I am a little special after all_ ," Sara's voice replied back, a distinct note of humor in it. " _Just don't tell Harry I admitted that._ "

Hermione glanced sharply over to where Harry stood and eyed him for a long moment before turning back towards the small girl. "It will be our secret, Sara," she assured the already deceased girl. _This must have already happened._ _She must have manipulated my memories_ , Hermione reasoned silently.

" _I see you've already figured it out_ ," Sara's pouting voice sounded in Hermione's head. " _I had hoped it would have taken you longer_ ," the girl told her. " _He really was right when he called you the brightest witch of the age._ "

The witch in question smiled, even as her cheeks blushed slightly. "Harry said that about me?"

" _He did_ ," Sara confirmed before continuing. " _However, we're not here to speak of that, Hermione."_ The injured girl saw Hermione's eyes slide to the side, once more falling upon her best friend. " _That's correct. What we need to speak about is Harry, and our time is limited, so I need you to listen to me Hermione._ "

Hermione's eyes shot back to the girl on the hospital bed as fear touched her heart. "Harry?" she asked, fearing that it was his time which was short that Sara had referred to.

" _You were wondering what Harry's happiness was, that which keeps him going_ ," Sara said within Hermione's head. " _Should I show you? Would you like to see?_ "

The once bushy-haired Gryffindor truly wished to know, yet she declined after only a moment's thought. "I…if Harry wants me to know then I am sure he will tell me at some point," she replied after a short internal struggle with herself.

" _You know, for a bright witch you can be fairly dense at times_ ," the young girl's voice said with a soft chuckle within Hermione's head. " _I think you need to see this. I owe Harry a great deal and while it is true he would not want you to know this I don't feel like that matters_ ," Sara told her in a tone that reminded Hermione that the girl was in fact still a child.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione gasped as the scene, one she well recalled but had forgotten, played out before her eyes. This time however, she saw the scene from Harry's perspective. It was like looking in a pensive except that she could also feel the mixtures of emotions running through Harry at the time. The scene was endearingly heart wrenching and sadly far too short.

" _Do you see?_ " Sara probed gently. " _Do you understand, Hermione?_ " she asked only to see the witch in question nod absently as she appeared to be still reeling over what she had witnessed and experienced. " _For the first time in his life Harry was everything to someone. Nothing and no one else mattered, only him. Never before had anyone every made him feel so loved. It didn't really matter if he was that persons everything or not. The important thing was that he felt that he was._ "

"She never knew," Hermione mumbled distractedly in way of a response, still try to process everything. "How could she? Harry never said anything!" she finally said looking directly at the girl before her. Recalling just how withdrawn her Harry once was while at Hogwarts she could see how something so simple could mean so much to him. To a man dying of thirst, water was the most precious item in the world.

" _Harry believes that's all he has left, a handful of memories_ ," Sara informed her in a soft worried tone. " _I fear having seen you once again has shown him just how pale those memories truly are._ " The small child stared at the witch with her for a long moment before continuing. " _We both know he has far more available to him than those old memories, does he not, Hermione?_ "

"I…I don't know," Hermione stammered, wanting to avert her eyes but finding herself unable to do so. It had taken her a very long time to bury what she knew Sara was referring to. A very long and painful time as well as a considerable amount of distance. She was uncertain if once uncovered she could once again bury it when the need arose. She greatly feared that there would indeed be a time when she would have to place it aside once again.

" _Don't know or afraid to find out?_ " Sara pressed. " _Harry has been alone for a long while now_ ," the petite girl finally said seeing that there would be no reply forthcoming from the witch beside her bed. " _What he needed to defeat Voldemort is no different than what he needs now. You may very well be the last person in the world that can give it to him. Do you recall what that was?_ " she asked only to see Hermione nod hesitantly.

Hermione's eyes stung with unshed tears. How could she not know what that was? It was something she herself had tried searching for over the last ten years only to give up upon the hope of ever finding it again. Throwing herself fully into her work had only been a means to distract herself from what she was sure would always be denied her. It was an easy way to bury the hurt and longing for something so basic and yet ostensibly out of reach for herself.

Sara smiled, apparently satisfied with that simple nod. " _Then I leave him in your care, Hermione. I would ask you to tell Harry I love him and am thankful for all he did but he already knows how I felt_ ," she offered with a sad smile beneath her bandages, certain the other girl could feel it, if not actually see it. _"I'm glad I got to meet you Hermione._ _Love him as he loves you._ "

"Inspector?" Smith asked in a worried tone, snapping the witch's thoughts back to her surroundings. "Are you alright?" It had alarmed him when Hermione had gone silent and even more so when her eyes had sprung a leak.

Hermione reached up with a trembling hand and touched the tears on her cheeks, a look of surprise appeared on her face upon finding them there. For a long moment she simply stared at the wet substance upon her fingertips before she replied in a firm tone. "I need to find Harry."

**-oOo-**

Harry paused just short of climbing into the waiting cargo van as the man who had spoken to him in the bar ordered him to wait a moment. One of the other SOS members produced an enchanted pair of wrist-cuffs and fastened them around Harry's wrists. The chain connecting the two cuffs to each other was no more than a few inches long. The restraints were designed to prevent him from using his magic.

The trained hit-wizard quickly read the ruins etched into the metal and deduced the quickest way to nullify the magic restricting devices. Once inside the van itself Harry stumbled, staggering into the side of the van loudly as the cuffs struck the metal. Using his actions as a distraction, he used an edge of the interior frame to dig into the metal cuff, scratching the etched rune just enough to alter it slightly. With the rune disfigured the magic imbued in the cuffs quickly faltered and sputtered out. Harry discretely casted a spell upon the restraints so that they would appear to be working correctly should anyone check.

"Here now, don't go hurting yourself before we can do it proper like," the talkative SOS member said with a humorous intonation to his words. After assisting Harry into a sitting position upon the floor, the man seated himself in the cargo area of the van across from Harry. Two other members climbed into the driver and passenger seats with the fourth member taking a seat on the floor behind the driver. "Best get comfortable," the man advised as the vehicle pulled away from the curb.

"Should be there in about three hours or so, depending on the traffic on the Western," the driver said over his shoulder.

"Let's take a look at those," the man across from Harry said as he set the detonator down only to quickly look at Harry with an exaggerated expression of surprise upon his face. "Oops! I guess we won't have to worry about those dentists after all, mate," he said towards Harry with a wickedly evil grin. "Wonder if they'll find all the teeth or not?"

"That wasn't part of the plan, Bernard," the man sitting behind the driver said upon seeing that his cohort had removed his finger from the trigger. Davis hadn't actually told them to kill the muggles, though he hadn't told them not to either.

"Shut yer trap," the man Harry now knew to be named Bernard snapped at the other man angrily. "They're nothing but a couple of muggles…I mean _were_ a couple of muggles," he added the last with a ruthless chuckle. "We would have gotten around to killing them sooner or later anyway! They're a means to getting to the mud-blood Granger, that's so close to them."

"So your name is Bernard?" Harry asked evenly, his single eye fixated upon the man intently.

Bernard nodded once in acknowledgement. "Not that it will do you any good knowing it. Won't be longer before you won't even be able to remember your own name. I've heard that the Cruciatus curse, applied in short burst, can take a long while to drive a person insane," the man chuckled in a tone that clearly indicated he was looking forward to finding out first-hand.

"Bernard," Harry said in a chillingly cold tone which caused the man in question to stop his laughter in mid-chuckle. "I'll be sure to kill you last so you can find out directly just how long it takes," Harry told the man, starring him down in the process.

Bernard tried to play it off but his laughter when he resumed it sounded weak and fearful even to himself before he ended it abruptly. The SOS member glowered at Harry for the remainder of the trip. Every so often his eyes would flicker to the now discarded detonator, try as he might, he couldn't suppress the shiver of fear that traversed his spine.

The drive passed in silence for nearly three hours before it was broken by the man in the passenger seat. "We're nearly there," the man offered as he turned to regard Bernard, who was apparently leading the mission. "Should we pull off onto a side road to do it?"

Bernard got to his feet and, stooping over slightly so as not to hit his head on the roof, made his way towards the front of the van so he could look out the window. "Take the next exit and then find someplace quiet like," he instructed the driver.

It wasn't long before they were off the main highway and rolling along a dirt road which appeared to lead to nowhere. After receiving a curt nod from Bernard the wizard in the passenger seat pulled his wand out and started to chant softly under his breath. A few moments later the driver pulled off to the side of the road and shut the motor off. The wizard continued to softly chant the words to the spell.

Harry had a sense of disorientation and uncertainty as to where he was. It was as if he had suddenly lost sense of direction. He couldn't tell if his eye was open or not. Perhaps the eeriest thing was that suddenly he could hear nothing. It was as if his senses had suddenly ceased to function correctly.

The world's most feared hit-wizard glanced at the scrap of paper that someone had just been thrust into his hand and read the words there aloud. "You're in a van," Harry said. In a blinking of an eye the van was visible and the disconcerting feeling of not knowing which way was up or down vanished. "A modified Fidelius Charm," Harry surmised as he put two and two together after a few minutes of thought. "Focused on the vehicle itself." Harry had to admit it was rather ingenious, having never thought to try something similar himself.

Once the spell was completed they resumed driving along the road they were on. Due to the spell, no one would be able to locate them or even see or hear them. The van, and its contents, could drive right past the Ministry of Magic and no one would be the wiser for it. Harry made a mental note to do some research upon the possible application of such a spell. It was near child's play for him to reach out and lift the spell from the caster's mind the next time the SOS member glanced back at him and made the mistake of making eye contact.

An hour after they essentially became invisible to everyone else in the world, Harry started to notice a slight pain in the back of his head. As time passed the throbbing increased, becoming far more painful than the migraine he initially thought it might be. At first he had been able to ignore the pain but as time passed it continued to grow stronger, more insistent as it imposed upon his thoughts.

Bernard chuckled heartlessly upon noticing the look of pain on Harry's face. "Hurts like bloody hell doesn't it, mate? Took me over a month to be able to think straight and do much of anything." Seeing the curious glare Harry was giving him only caused the man to laugh all the more. "Don't you fret none, you'll be finding out soon enough what be causing it."

In a few short minutes the van started to run roughly as the motor coughed and sputtered. The driver pulled over quickly and turned the vehicle off before it could die all the way. "Time to go for a stroll," Bernard said as he climbed to his feet. Once standing the man reached down and grabbed one of Harry's arms and pulled him up, assisting him to the door of the van once it was opened.

Harry struggled desperately to force the pain from his mind but to little avail. His Occlumency shields didn't seem to be down as far as he could tell, which led him to believe it was something other than a mental attack brought about by Legilimency. Observing the four others with him he could tell they were all affected, though apparently to a lesser degree than he was experiencing.

As they finally neared their destination, a deserted village from all appearances, two of the SOS members had to physically carry the hit-wizard known as Archangel. Unceremoniously they dragged him into the largest structure before dumping him into a chair. Once they had secured Harry to the chair they left with a few parting chuckles at his apparent semi-conscious state.

Harry world became nothing more than pain, delivered in one agonizing pulse after the other. Time ceased to have relevance as he could only measure it from one throbbing sensation to the next. There was a slight ebb and flow to the torment, a matter of one moment to the next in which he could almost grasp the illusive reality. Being no stranger to pain over the course of his life, the world's foremost hit-wizard soon learned to use these moments to gather his thoughts. In this manner he slowly reached out for his magic so that he might free himself, only to discover that the magic was no longer there.

Harry floundered as he called forth his magic only to have it fail to answer him. _What? What have they done to me?_ Try as he might he couldn't recall anything the four men had done that would account for his magic being removed or blocked. Unable to come up with an explanation he set the matter aside for the moment. Years of training and experience had taught him that you did not dwell upon that which you couldn't change. _First you deal with what you can and then you tackle what is left_ , he told himself.

Harry's consciousness retreated to the farthest corner of his mind where he managed to hold the pain at bay by sheer force of will. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do this for very long though. Already he could feel the madness the torment brought with it creeping ever closer to his hiding place. Over the course of the past decade he had trained with many different masters and in many different techniques. He had adopted the philosophy that you could never know too much if you wished to remain among the living. As fast as thought allowed he flipped through all that he had learned and selected what he hoped to be the right one.

_First concentrate upon the center_ , he told himself softly. ' _Everything begins and ends in the center'_ , his Sensei had told him. _Brown. The center is brown. Soft like melted caramel_ , he mused as he envisioned them, wide with slightly tapered ends. _There is a warmth there, a caring for others, especially those dear to their owner._ In the small corner of darkness that was left of Harry's mind the wizard constructed an image of a pair of brown eyes that he knew almost as well as his own.

A slim delicate nose soon joined the image as well as soft cheek bones set above a dazzling smile. Where once the image may have adorned with bushy brown hair, it now had the more dignified brown tresses of an adult woman. The eyes deepened as the lips became fuller and the face of a girl blossomed into that of a beautiful young woman. _Hermione_ , Harry thought softly as he narrowed all his attention to this one image of the girl he once knew as his best friend. This was the girl who had grown into the strong and independent woman who now worked for magical law enforcement.

It had been nearly four years ago that he had studied to learn the technique of blocking his own pain receptors. Mind over body was not an easy technique to learn, requiring a great deal of focus. To this effect Harry had called to mind the one thing he knew he would never lose touch with. The Eastern Philosophy he was utilizing wasn't something that could be used instantly, but given enough time and the proper motivation and determination one could effectively render themselves immune to pain for a period of time. He had as yet ever used this this specific technique as it was a double edged sword. While the practitioner could carry on, ignoring the pain his body was feeling, that pain generally served to warn the body that it was injured. A sort of self-preservation mechanism designed to protect the body itself. In such a state the person could take a serious injury and never even know it. If it went on long enough a person could easily die without feeling any pain at all.

As the pain began to subside he gingerly reached out to his senses, restoring them one at a time. Glancing about he noted he was in an unfurnished room with bare adobe type walls and a dirt floor. There were was one window in the room, through which the first tendrils of dawn provided barely enough light for him to see by. Tied to the chair with his hands behind him, still encased within the metal cuffs, there was little he could do but wait to see what his captors had in store for him.

The sun had completely risen, judging by the brightness of the small patch of sky Harry could see through the small window, when the door to his room opened suddenly. Bernard gave him a grin before entering the room and closing the door behind him. "You're a tough one, I'll give you that, mate," he said to Harry. "It was almost a week before I could even open my eyes," Bernard offered with grudging respect in his voice.

"I wager you haven't figured out where you're at though, have you?" Bernard enquired conversationally. "This is…well we don't know what it actually is. Davis called it a _dead zone_. The locals shun this place like the plague on account that nothing works here. No magic, nor anything powered by that muggle eletrincity."

"Electricity," Harry corrected.

"Blimey you can talk too!" Bernard guffawed in surprise. "Maybe you are as good as they say you are after all! Took most the boys a few weeks to be able to manage that! Not that it will matter once Davis gets here. As soon as we get what we've come for we'll be off again and then the real fun can start! It seems you must have done something to piss Davis off, as he wants to handle you personally."

"Killed his master a few years back," Harry offered, drawing a curious stare from the man with him. "I'd imagine he was none too pleased about that," Harry quipped with a smirk. "Speaking of masters, when is yours due so we can get this over with and I can kill him?"

Bernard snorted while shaking his head from side to side. "This only ends one way for you, mate and it ain't pretty." As he spoke the man removed a pair of black gloves from his pocket and began slipping them on. "While Davis isn't my master, he won't be here till tomorrow," the man said as he finished slipping on the first glove and worked on the second one. "Plenty of time for you and me to play for a bit. You see, Darnel was me cousin and while he was a bloody git he was also family."

Bernard flexed first one hand and then the other, making certain that the steel bars stitched in the palms of each glove settle correctly. The metal was thick enough so that when the hand was closed, forming a fist, it afforded a solid center so that each punch would hurt all the more. "Can't let something like that slide, now can I mate?" he asked eyeing Harry.

"I imagine not," Harry replied resignedly. The first blow snapped his head back while the next one forced it to the left. After several consecutive blows Harry started to chuckle, realizing that he couldn't feel a thing. A few more punches and Harry was outright laughing. Bernard seemed to grow angrier with each laugh and soon Harry found himself laughing through two broken lips and several missing teeth. His one good eye was swollen almost closed and his eye patch had come off at some point exposing the hollow socket it covered.

Bernard hunched over, his hands resting on his knees as he gasped for air from the excursion. "Bloody hell mate, what kind of devil are you?" he wheezed out between gasps, eyeing the wizard tied to the chair before him. "No one," he paused to draw in some air, "no one should be able to take a beating like that and laugh about it!"

"Me?" Harry asked through his busted face. "I'm just the wizard who's going to kill you and your boss."


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione Granger stood with her hands on her hips and surveyed the empty road as well as the barren surrounding landscape. They had finally arrived at the location where the van had last been reported before they had lost track of it, only to find nothing to indicate what happened to it. The only sound was the wind rustling across the rugged landscape as she turned her eyes down, towards the dirt road itself, to examine the tracks. "This doesn't make any sense," she mused aloud, more to herself than to the MIB agent with her.

"Vans don't just disappear," Smith added with a nod of agreement. "They could have vanished it I suppose," he offered hesitantly as he tried to puzzle out the strange disappearance of the vehicle. The fact that neither magical nor non-magical tracking could locate the missing member of his team had the wizard more than a little perplexed as well as worried.

"That wouldn't account for why we can't trace Harry," Hermione countered with. "If it was just that, then we'd still be able to locate him via your tracking device, at the very least." The brunette witch chewed the inside of her lip as she walked a short ways further down the road to see if the tracks reappeared, though she was already fairly certain that they wouldn't. Finding nothing, she retraced her steps till she was once more beside the SUV.

"A fidelius?" Smith queried, having just returned from inspecting the shoulder of the road for any clues, without much luck.

"Possibly," Hermione replied slowly, fearful of getting her hopes up. _If it is a fidelius then Harry could be close by_. "What else would cause your tracking device to stop functioning?"

Smith thought for a long moment before responding; "Only two things I can think of. If Angel was close enough to a concentrated amount of magic, that might short out the device."

Hermione nodded in understanding. _Nothing electrical would ever function at Hogwarts due to the concentrated amount of magical energy there. Nothing like a thousand years' worth of students firing off spells to super charge an entire castle._ "What's the other thing?" she asked, looking over at the agent, across the front hood of the SUV.

Smith paused for a brief moment before replying. "If Angel is dead, as the device works off the electrical energy generated by his body, the device would cease to function if he does."

Hermione swallowed heavily having already feared that would be the response. "Let us hope it is the former and not the latter of the two then," she replied before releasing a heavy sigh.

"It could still be a fidelius," Smith said in an attempt to offer the witch a modicum of hope. "Were there any houses or buildings around here before?" he asked as he glanced about the empty landscape.

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied thoughtfully. "I'm not familiar with this area actually. It's close to tribal lands so we typically seldom have to come out this way."

"What about property records or satellite imagery we could review?" Smith asked, trying to figure out how they could gather the required information. Every hour that Angel was missing the chances of his survival dwindled.

Hermione snorted humorously. "Satellite imagery is limited to whatever you can find on-line, like Google maps. The Australian government doesn't have the funding to have their own satellite. As for the records, we can check when we get back to the office." The witches tone clearly indicated that she didn't hold much faith in finding anything.

Smith nodded once in understanding. "Can you apparate us back to your offices? We can just leave the SUV here," he suggested in an effort to save time. Hermione simply gave a nod before walking around the vehicle and offering her arm to him. Smith felt the all too familiar sensation of being sucked through a rubber straw before reappearing within the apparition room at the Ministry of Magic building in downtown Sydney. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Smith said, his displeasure evident in his tone.

"Harry always hated to travel that way as well," Hermione replied with a sympathetic smile. "Actually he didn't have much stomach for any means of magical travel other than a broom back when we were at Hogwarts," Hermione informed Smith of as she lead him from the room and headed towards the TASS offices.

"Perhaps that's why I've never seen him apparate or floo before," Smith said as they hurried down the hall and then up a flight of stairs to the second floor. "I don't think I've even seen him use a portkey, now that I think about it."

"With the way he can just disappear in a blink of an eye why would he use any other method?" Hermione asked rhetorically as she pushed open the doors to the TASS office. "Jess, give me some good news!" Hermione called out upon spotting the blonde witch.

"I wish I had some to give you," Jess replied with a sorrowful look as she turned to face her boss. "We're doing a wide area scan with as much detail as we can muster without dragging out the time it takes to do it," the surveillance witch explained. "Willis thought he caught a blip from that tracking device of theirs a while ago, but it couldn't have been."

"Why not?" Hermione quickly asked.

The blonde witch strode over to a large map that was upon the wall that showed the entire continent of Australia. The map was cut up in different colored areas to represent which areas were controlled by the various Magical Law Enforcement offices located throughout the country. "If his instruments were correct then it showed right about here," Jess said as she placed the tip of a slim finger well within a red area of the map. "It was only for a second, but as you can see it must have been a false reading or glitch in the instruments."

"I see what you mean," Hermione conceded.

Smith cleared his throat, "Care to explain for those of us not from these parts?"

"Those are tribal lands," Hermione replied. "They police their own lands and don't take kindly to strangers." Seeing the questioning look upon the MIB agent's face she continued to explain. "They prefer to curse first, ask questions later."

"If there's anything left to ask that is," Jess added. The Aborigines were the only real law upon their lands and they defended what was theirs with a savagery that was astonishing to witness. There were countless tales of people wondering into the lands owned by the tribes, only to never be seen again. "There's no way anyone could get that deep into their lands and still be alive," Jess explained to substantiate her claim that the blip was false.

Smith stepped up close to the map and regarded it. The MIB agent accepted their explanation as they were local experts. "What's this area here?" he asked, tapping a small black area deep within the red area on the map.

Hermione glanced at where he was pointing before replying, "Dead space. Nothing works there. Not magic, not even electricity. Nothing will grow there either. Even the Aborigines shun the place, and with good cause."

"Why would that be, Inspector?" Willis asked as he joined the three of them at the map.

"According to the locals there was once a magical battle that took place there several thousand years ago. According to the legends, the battle raged back and forth for several years with neither side winning in the end. It's said that so much magic was used that is scared the land, preventing magic from ever being used there again," Hermione said, telling them the same story she had been told by a tribal elder several years back.

"Really?" Willis asked skeptically.

Hermione shrugged slightly, "I can't vouch for the legend but I can tell you that place can drive you insane if you're not careful. As part of our training we have to go there and become attuned to the place," she told them. "For those of us who are witches and wizards, the pain itself will drive you nutters if you're not careful. It took me two weeks before I could even think straight. Think of the worse headache you've ever had and then multiple it by a hundred, no a thousand times."

"I get a migraine just thinking about the place," Jess quipped with a slight shudder at the memory of the last time she had been there.

"We have an agreement with the local tribes," Hermione continued with after a nod of agreement with Jess' words, "that allows us access to the site several times a year. Most of that is so that we can take new members and get them accustomed to the sensation of being there. The rest of us are required to return there at least once a year to desensitize ourselves to the area."

"If it's as painful as you say it is why would you do that?" Willis enquired in a disbelieving tone of voice.

"While it is true that the tribes are allowed to police their own lands, Magical Law Enforcement is still responsible for the entire continent. Which includes the lands held by the Aborigines. The Dead area doesn't seem to affect the non-magicals," she continued to explain. "If we have to go in there after someone we need to be able to deal with the problems that area cause."

"Thanks for the education, Inspector," Smith said. "We don't have anything like that in the States but I have heard of something similar in South America."

Willis brought out a folder he had in his hand behind his back and passed it to his partner. "They sent what sat images they had of the area," he explained as Smith opened the folder and started looking through it. "I glanced at them already and didn't see anything," he told all three of them upon seeing the hopeful look upon the two witches' faces.

"Jess, can you send a few people down to the records office?" Hermione asked. "We need to see if there are any property records for the area where the van disappeared."

Jess gowned audibly. "You do realize that it is highly doubtful that they will be computerized if there are any, right?"

"Then the sooner you get them here the sooner we can start going through them," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

The day passed through the morning and well into the afternoon with every free hand digging through records. Property records were not managed by area but rather by years so they had to go through each and every record to find ones for the area in question. Once they had located the property owners they then discovered that the files only showed who the property owners were and neglected to provide any details concerning if something was built on the land of not. It took another trip to the hall of records and going through countless building permits before they determined that all the buildings and residences in the area were still there.

"Well, so much for thinking it was a fidelius," Hermione said with a weary sigh as she tossed the last record down onto the table that was already covered with countless others she had gone through.

"What else could it be?" Smith asked as he tossed the report he was holding onto the table as well. The MIB agent rubbed his tired eyes before continuing. "For all we know they may have very well pitched a tent and placed the fidelius upon that."

"Is that even possible?" Jess asked curiously.

"We don't know," Hermione said as she got to her feet and walked over to the map on the wall. There was now a growing circle of yellow spreading outward from the last known location of the van. This represented the area they had scanned magically so far. "If it is a fidelius, we'll never find it."

"Why take Angel?" Willis asked into the ensuing silence.

"My guess would be that Davis wants to settle an old score," Hermione offered in way of answer. "He was the one who took out Davis' former master."

"Speaking of Davis," Jess spoke up, "no one has seen him since the safe house incident. Do we have any leads as to where he might be? Maybe we could put a trace on him and let him lead us to Angel?"

"Wherever he is, he's keeping a low profile," Smith answered. "I think maybe Angel surprised him at that safe house and he's gone into hiding to save his own skin."

"He'll turn up," Willis quipped. "The bad ones always do," he added, earning a humorous snort from the blonde witch seated next to him.

Hermione only half listened to the conversation as her eyes were firmly affixed to the map in front of her. _Why were they heading west?_ She asked herself not for the first time. _There has to be some reason why they took that particular road._ Absently the brilliant witch lifted one finger and followed the roads path till it ended where a river had apparently changed course and washed out the dirt road. As the road was unpaved and very old, nothing had been done to restore the road. With the addition of the modernized highways the road was all but forgotten.

The fingertip tapped the spot on the map where the river and road merged. _If memory serves me correctly, the water source for that river was dammed and its course was changed to flow along the newly built aqueduct that provides irrigation to the fertile farm lands to the north of there. It took some major convincing to get the tribes to allow the dam construction on their lands._ Tracing the dry river bed's course she saw that it made its way into tribal land, ending right at the edge of the area known as the dead zone. _It was right near here that Willis believed they received a blip from Harry's tacking device to. It can't be coincidence!_

The yellow circle had reached the edge of the land controlled by the Aborigines, where it stopped. It was considered extremely rude to scan their lands without their permission. Though the circle continued to expand in all other directions it made no move to encroach into the red areas of the map. _If I wanted a place where I knew no one would be able to locate me and I was certain that no one living nearby would go that would be it,_ she thought to herself as she tapped the black area on the map.

Inspector Granger turned away from the map and leaned back against it as she contemplated her options _. It will take several days to get tribal approval for crossing their land_ , she silently mused, _days Harry isn't likely to have_. The thought that Harry might actually meet his demise at the hands of a former Death Eater caused her chest to hurt. In the end it wasn't really all that difficult decision for her to make.

"Jess, keep scanning and let me know if you find anything out of the ordinary," Hermione said, pushing herself off the wall and heading for the door. "Anything at all."

"Where are you heading?" Jess asked, finding it strange that the witch would leave while they were right in the middle of trying to locate MIB's missing Hit Wizard.

"I have a few things I want to check out," Hermione tossed back over her shoulder. "It shouldn't take me more than an hour or two. Call my cell if you find anything," she said just before she stepped through the doors and was gone.

Hermione quickly made her way to the Magical Law Enforcement apparition room. A short moment later and a loud crack saw her reappearing within the bedroom of her flat. Wasting no time the witch hurried to her closet and threw open the doors before crouching down to retrieve a briefcase from the back corner. Setting the case aside for the moment she quickly stripped down to nothing only to remove a black outfit from a drawer and pull it on with practiced ease.

The one-piece jumpsuit was form fitting, appearing more like a second skin rather than regular clothing. Jess had once commented that it made her look extremely _Hot!_ The flat black material it was comprised of would help conceal her as she made her way into the dead zone. Though the suit was not magical, it was made of a special material developed by the military that should offer some protection from physical blows and other mundane weapons.

Pulling up the zipper which ran up the front of the special suit, Hermione reached down and lifted the case from the floor only to set it upon the bed and open it. Nestled within the case were several brace of throwing knives and a twin set of Glock 22's. Not for the first time did she give thanks for the specialized training all TASS members went through.

Normal Law Enforcement were all given the rudiments of hand to hand combat and fire arm training. TASS members were given considerably more as they were often expected to infiltrate areas that placed them at considerable risk. _Most witches and wizards don't expect to be physically assaulted_ , she mused silently to herself as she fastened on a brace of balanced knives. Each blade was razor sharp and flat black in color so there would be no glint of light off the metal.

The unmistakable crack of an apparition suddenly sounded out in the living room. In a blink of an eye Hermione drew a Glock, rammed home the magazine and loaded a round into the chamber. Keeping the gun aimed at the door to her bedroom the witch waited to see if she could hear anything.

"Granger!" called an unmistakable voice from the other room. "I know you're in there so don't shoot me when I open the door."

Hermione never lowered her firearm as the door opened slowly and a head with a mass of blonde hair peeked around it. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just shoot you now, Jess?"

"Cause you'd miss me," the blonde witch replied with a smirk as she pushed open the door the rest of the way with the case in her hand.

Hermione glance down at the case her friend had, a case that was identical to the one on her bed, and inwardly groaned. "I didn't say I would kill you," she finally said as the corners of her mouth hiked up into a grin.

"You'd feel bad about it afterwards," Jess said as she moved to the bed and set her case next to Hermione's. "Besides you know you need my help," the buxom blonde said as she started to strip her clothes off. "Who else are you going to trust to cover your bum?"

"You don't even know where I'm heading," Hermione stated as she eased the hammer down and thumbed the safety on before setting the gun on the bed next to her case.

"True," Jess confessed as she shed the last of her clothing and started to pull on her suit which matched the one Hermione wore. "The way I figure it, you wouldn't be going if you didn't have a good reason to go." The blonde witch slipped in both arms and then worked at tucking her chest into the stretching material. "That's a good enough reason for me," she said, glancing up only to grin at catching her boss ogling at her abundant chest. "See something you like?" Jess snickered.

"Maybe," Hermione replied as she shrugged into the twin shoulder holsters, feeling her cheeks warm into a blush at having been caught staring. "Damn, I need to find Harry," she said under her breath but apparently not nearly quiet enough.

"Harry?" Jess enquired as she strapped on a brace of knives. "Who's Harry? Don't tell me I have competition now?" she asked as the grin grew on her face.

"Harry Potter," Hermione said with a slight sigh.

"The-Boy-Who-Lived? What's he got to do with this?" Jess asked, recalling that Hermione knew the Wizarding world's number one hero. "Didn't you have a thing for him back in England?"

Hermione snorted as she holstered the gun from the bed and reached down to inspect and load the other one. "I think all the witches in England had a thing for him."

"Yeah but not all of them got to go to school with him," Jess said with a slight chuckle as she loaded her first firearm and thumbed the safety before holstering it. "Still, what does this all have to do with _your_ Harry?" The blonde witch just grinned all the more at the glare Hermione sent her way.

"Archangel is Harry," Hermione finally said, deciding to tell her. _She knows about my parents,_ she reasoned to herself. _If I can trust her with that then I might as well trust her with this as well._ Hermione also realized that Jess was risking her life by coming with her and felt that she owed her the truth at the very least.

Jess paused, regarding her for a long moment to see if her friend was trying to have a go at her. "You're serious?" she asked to which Hermione simply nodded once. "Well then we just have to go and find him," Jess said after a moment's pause. Seeing the questioning look from Hermione she explained. "I hear gratuitous sex after a life threatening situations is mind blowing and if anyone needs that you do, Granger!"

"JESS!" Hermione gasped in embarrassed astonishment at the crassness of her friend even as her face suddenly felt like it was on fire. The heat in her face only increased as her mind suddenly provided images of what Jess had given voice to. The witch couldn't stop the pleasurable shiver that traversed her spine and was all that certain that she wanted to stop it.

The blonde witch in question merely grinned at her friend's discomfort. It was apparent from the scarlet tinged checks on Hermione's face that her guess hadn't been far off the mark. _She really does need to get laid!_ "So what's the game plan for getting Lover Boy back?" Jess asked as she checked a knife before slipping it into a sheath that ran horizontal across the small of her back.

Hermione didn't know if she should glare at her friend or grin with her. Forcing her thoughts off of Jess's suggestive topic and a certain raven haired wizard, she laid out the plan. "I'll apparate us to where we lost contact with the van. From there we'll take brooms along the road till it intersects the riverbed. Once there we'll follow it till it ends near the dead zone. From there on it's on foot as we don't know if they'll have sentries."

"Given that they don't believe anyone will be showing up it would be doubtful that they will," Jess said only to quickly add, "but better safe than sorry." Though the blonde witch detested the dead zone she wasn't overly surprised that was their ultimate destination. It made perfect sense after all.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "We also don't know how many members might be there. Don't go taking any unnecessary chances, Jess," Hermione cautioned. "We get in, find Harry, and get out."

"No more risks than you, Boss," Jess smirked, only to grin wickedly. "Let's go fetch your Angel back so you can get some mind blowing sex!"

**-oOo-**

The sound of the door to his room being opened awoke Harry from the half doze he had fallen into. He had learned long ago that if there was nothing to be done then his time was best spent conserving his strength and resting while he could. In his line of work it was usually one second to the next when all hell broke loose. The fact that the room was nearly dark told the hit wizard that many hours had passed since he had been left alone and it was nearing night outside.

Three men entered the small room. Two of them roughly dragged Harry to his feet while the third held up a lit torch to shed light into the room so that the others could see what they were doing. "Bloody heel Bernard did a number on him," the man with the torch gasped upon seeing the state of Harry's face in the flickering torch light.

"Not our problem," one of the other men replied. "He'll have to answer to Davis when he gets here," the man added with a dismissing shrug of one shoulder.

Without further discussion the two men carried, half dragged, Harry from the room. The man with the torched walked in front, leading the way, as they left the building and crossed an open expanse of ground. Harry feigned semi-consciousness, allowing his head to wag about so that he could get a better view of where they were going.

The four of them soon entered a cave that was located in the side of a cliff. The smooth stone floor of the cave descended gradually. As they traversed the underground tunnel Harry took note that there were other passageways that seemed to branch off the main one though they were all pitch black in the brief flickering light of the single torch as it passed.

It was difficult to tell time underground but it seemed sooner rather than longer to Harry when they emerged from the tunnel into a wide carven that was roughly circular in nature. There were several braziers stationed about the circumference of the room, each adding a modicum of light and heat to the stone room. Standing there in the middle of the room with a grin on his face was Bernard.

"Put him in the chair," Bernard ordered the two men carrying Harry, as he gestured to the wooden chair that was situated in the center of the room. Harry soon found himself seated in the chair with ropes tying him to the chair around each leg as well as around his chest. The metal cuffs on his wrists prevented them from securing his arms to the arms of the chair as the chain between the cuffs wasn't long enough. As the cuffs were transfigured to be without seams, there was no way to remove them without the use of magic so they settled for securing him as best they could.

Bernard roughly grasped the hair on the top of Harry's head and yanked it backwards to force the hit wizard to look up at him. "Now that the trap has been properly baited all we need do is sit back and wait for the annoying fly to get caught in it," the SOS member said with a malicious chuckle. "Hopefully she won't keep us waiting long so we can have some fun with her before Davis gets here to kill the two of you!"

Harry tried to speak but couldn't at first. Running his tongue over his swollen lips, he swallowed once heavily before trying once again. "Who?" was all the injured wizard finally managed to get out.

Bernard gave a short chuckle upon seeing the state Harry was in. "That filthy mudblood bitch of a witch of yours, Granger," he told Harry.

"Don't you touch her!" Harry managed to spit out vehemently past his busted lips, his one emerald eye glaring dangerously with a promise of a slow unpleasant death.

"Oh, I plan on doing a great deal more than just touching her, mate," Bernard replied with a lecherous grin. "That's before Davis kills the both of you of course. Would be a shame to let a nice bird like that go to waste and all." Harry struggled against the ropes but to no avail as the SOS member took a bit of cloth from a pocket and gaged him with it. "Maybe I can talk Davis into just wiping her mind and letting me keep Granger around as a play thing for me and the boys," Bernard said as a parting shot as he walked away, his loud laughter echoing in the cavern.

Time seemed to slow, marked only by the flickering of the flames spaced about the room. Harry was uncertain of just how long he had been sitting tied to the chair when suddenly he realized that he was no longer alone in the room. The trained hit wizard's eye scanned the outer edges of the room where there were plenty of places still covered by shadows. While the burning braziers did an adequate job of lighting the immediate area around the center of the room, there was still a great deal of area around the outer edge that was cast in darkness or at the very least heavy shadows.

_She doesn't realize that it's a trap_ , Harry thought angrily to himself, believing the presence he felt had to be Hermione. Desperately he tried to wiggle first one shoulder up and then the other in an effort to get free of the ropes, but whoever tied the rope had known what they were doing. Harry tried to yell that it was a trap but the gag effectively prevented anything remotely coherent from coming out of his mouth.

Several long minutes passed with nothing happening and then suddenly one by one the braziers started toppling over. The manner in which they did this was very random so it was impossible to tell how it was being done by Harry. In a matter of a minute or two they had all spilled their hot embers across the floor, plunging the room into near darkness.

Harry stiffened in the chair as he felt the presence of someone behind him. Before he could do much more than that the ropes tied around his chest loosened and then fell away into his lap. Quickly the hit wizard reached up and tugged the gag free of him mouth. "It's a trap," he hissed to the person behind him even as he felt the ropes come free around one leg.

"Of course it is," answered the soft whisper of Hermione's voice next to his ear.

Relief flooded through Harry's body for a moment, nearly causing him to lose control of his thoughts that were holding the pain at bay. In the ensuing silence there was the unmistakable sound of metal against rock. "Close your eyes!" Harry yelled, guessing what the noise was even without seeing it. There was a bright light and a concussion of sound as the flash grenade went off barely a few meters from them.

The explosion of sound caught Hermione unprepared and knocked her from her feet as her equilibrium was disrupted. Even with her eyes closed tightly, thanks to Harry's timely warning, the bright flash of light was enough to momentarily blind the witch. When she opened her eyes once again it was only to see spots and the vague shape of someone towering over her.

"Collect our prize boys," Harry heard Bernard call from the left side of the cavern. Seeing a man to his right, leaning down towards a prone figure on the floor, Harry kicked out with his freed leg. The hit wizard's foot caught the man on the side of the knee, forcing the knee sideways till there was the audible sound of snapping cartilage and bones. The injured man dropped to the cavern floor with a howl of pain that echoed throughout the room.

Sensing other forms charging them, Harry kicked out with his leg that was still tied to the wooden chair. The chair connected with one assailant, the wooden chair breaking and falling away nosily as the attacker crumbled to the floor. Losing little time, Harry shook the ropes free from his leg and turned to face the charging men.

Hermione shook her head to clear away the spots as well as the ringing in her ears and staggered to her feet even as Harry dropped the second assailant. In the dim lighting given off by the spilled braziers she could make out numerous figures running towards them from the rear of the room.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked Hermione as he quickly bent down and snapped the neck of the man he had hit with the chair.

"I'll survive," Hermione assured him as her hands became a blur, slipping knives that were strapped to her chest into each hand and hurling them at the advancing shapes. There were several gasps of pain and cries of alarm as figures fell to the cold ground. "You?"

"I've had worse," Harry replied just before engaging the first figure to reach them. The next several minutes were a crazy dance of hand to hand combat. There enemies were greater in numbers with several of them armed with wicked looking blades. Both Hermione and Harry danced about inflicting damage on their attackers as they passed. As it was just the two of them they had the distinct advantage because the men attacking them had to be careful of not hitting their own people.

Hermione, drew both Glocks and fired off several rounds into the masses before they split apart, making it hard to hit a target. A sharp blow to one hand caused her to lose her grip on the gun, the sound of it clattering to the floor was lost amidst the grunts and groans of the combatants. The former Hogwarts student managed to get off a few more shots before the other gun was knocked from her grasp as well.

The close quarter fighting didn't allow the TASS member to reach for her other weapons, her throwing knives. Hermione was also fearful of hitting Harry as the two of them had become separated as they dodged and dance around their attackers. The last thing she wanted to do was accidently hit him with one of her blades. As she spun about she had to limit her attacks to kicks and jabs that none the less staggered back her opponents. A meaty fist unexpectedly caught her on the side of the head, knocking her to the floor painfully where she lay for a moment trying to regain her breath.

"Not so tough now are you, Granger?" Bernard spat out as he towered over the downed witch, a captured Glock in his hand pointed at her chest. "You're going to be a fun one when we-" The burly man suddenly crumpled to the floor, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head.

"You talk too much," Harry spat as he lowered his hand, the metal cuff around his wrist glinting once as it caught the dim lighting for a brief moment. At some point in their struggle the chain between the cuffs on Harry's arm had apparently been severed. The metal guards were proving to be very effective weapons which the trained hit wizard didn't hesitate to utilize. Just as quickly the dark-haired wizard was off again and engaging another attacker.

Hermione quickly got to her feet and watched mesmerized as Harry engaged five people at once. The man she watched held little resemblance to the small, under fed boy she knew from Hogwarts. Harry's body seemed to flow like water as he twisted and turned, deflecting punches and kicks as if it were nothing at all. Within a matter of moments three of those arrayed against him were down and out for the count.

Harry stepped forward into the swing of the man before him, the attackers arm bouncing harmlessly off his shoulder. In a single smooth motion Harry jammed his fist into the man's throat and felt the windpipe crumple under the force of the blow. The follow up blow to the man's chest drove what little air left in the attacker's lung forcibly out. Before the body had even begun to fall the hit wizard had already turned and deflected the other assailants' punch that had been aimed at the exposed backside of his head.

There was a sudden blinding flash of red light as the cavern was showered in light from two flares that came skidding across the cavern floor. Squinting against the near blinding light after the darkness, Harry made out a figure at the mouth of the cave. _Davis!_ his mind told him in an instant. Even as he watched Harry saw the man raise a gun and point it off to the side. A quick glance told Harry that Hermione was the intended target. Harry tried to shift himself to where she was but it was like trying to push himself through a rock wall.

Hermione watched as Harry downed the fourth man and then a suddenly explosion of light nearly blinded her. Time seemed to freeze for a long moment before proceeding with agonizing lowness. The witch turned and saw someone at the entrance to the tunnel, which she recognized as Trent Davis. In horrified fascination she watched as Davis raised a gun in slow motion and pointed it at her. The retort of the weapon as it discharged seemed to echo like thunder within the cavern. The blinding flash of muzzle fire certainly signaling her death she feared.

All of a sudden Harry was there in front of her and staggering into her. Hermione struggled to keep the hit wizard from causing them both to fall to the floor. The wizard's body seemed to twitch or jerk several times as she tried to steady the two of them. A sharp burning pain suddenly exploded in her side telling her that at least one of the bullets from Davis' gun had found its target.

Time, still moving at an incredibly slow pace, allowed her to feel Harry reach around her to the small of her back and slip free the throwing knife located there. In what could only be described a well-practiced move, her best friend pivoted and threw the stolen knife. There was no telltale flicker off the blade as it flew across the distance and embedded itself in the left eye of Trent Davis. With a look of puzzlement on his face the former Death Eater fell backwards, the gun slipping from his already dead fingers. Time suddenly seemed to return to its normal pace as the remaining SOS members fled into the night

Hermione reached down and touched her side, gasping in pain as her fingers brushed across the gunshot wound. "That was almost anti-climactic," she offered as she looked down at her side only to see a blood stain slowly spreading across the black material. The bullet had apparently lodged itself into a meatier part of her side instead if hitting anything vital. The young witch glanced up at Harry when there was no immediate response only to see her friend drop to his knees and topple over in a heap upon the cavern floor.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, as she stepped forward and dropped to her knees beside the downed wizard. Grabbing the man, she rolled him over onto his back, her hands coming away covered in a warm sticky substance she knew right away to be blood. Ripping the wizard's shirt open she saw a bloody hole that bubbled with each ragged breath the man took. Vaguely her mind registered the fact that the bullet that had hit her had first traveled through Harry to get to her, passing through his lung in the process. A quick search of the remainder of Harry's person revealed several more bullet holes in his back. _When he stumbled it must have been the impact of the bullets hitting him_ , she thought as she rolled Harry onto his back once again.

"I must be in heaven," Harry mumbled as he looked up at Hermione, "Certainly this is what an Angel looks like," he added with a wane smile before coughing due to the effort it cost him to speak.

"Quiet you," Hermione admonished as she reached forward and wiped away the flecks of blood from his lips that had appear during the coughing fit. "Save your energy, Harry. We'll get you out of here and patched up as good as new," she told him in a shaky voice as the wound in his chest wheezed with each shallow breath.

"But then again you've always been my Guardian Angel," Harry continued as if he hadn't heard a word she had said. "You've always been there when I needed you most," he stated only to start coughing once again. "I would never have been able to survive Voldemort if it weren't for you," he added in a softer voice once he stopped coughing.

"Harry, I'm going to have to drag you out of here," Hermione told him, not really paying attention to what the wizard was rambling about. Standing, the witch stepped around the wizard till she was standing near his head. Reaching down she tucked a hand under each arm prepared to drag him from the chamber to a point where she could apparate them to St. Bernadette's hospital.

"That's one of the things I've always loved about you, Hermione. You never gave up. Not on me or on the fight with Voldemort," Harry breathed in a raspy voice. "I only wish I could have told you then how much you mean to me, how much I love you," Harry managed to get out before he coughed again, a shower of blood and spittle spraying forth.

"You can tell me later, Harry," Hermione told him as she lifted the wizard and started to drag him from the chamber. A glance down showed her that he had never heard her words; his eyes were open but rolled back into his head. The wound in her side screamed with every movement and she could feel her own blood slowly leaking from it to trickle down her side and leg. Pushing everything aside she continued to struggle on. Hermione knew, no matter what, she wasn't about give up on Harry now.


	9. Chapter 9

"Just like old times," Hermione grunted as she dragged the injured wizard across the cavern floor towards the mouth of the tunnel. "One of these days your ' _Saving People_ ' thing is going to get you killed, Harry," the witch stated as she dragged him further with another insistent tug. "Or both of us," she added reluctantly. The young witch was determined that this would not be that time for either of them.

The injury in her side felt like it was on fire as her own life blood trickled from the gunshot wound there. _I can only imagine how Harry feels_ , she thought to herself. The witch quickly glanced down at the unconscious wizard and smirked, "Then again you don't appear to be feeling anything at the moment," she stated through clenched teeth as she continued her task.

The two of them finally made it to the tunnel entrance and passed through it, leaving the room full of death and bodies behind them. Hermione tried desperately to ignore the smeared bloody trail on the floor from Harry's body visible in the flickering torch light of the tunnel. A cold fear started to grow in the pit of her stomach. A fear that they might not make it in time to save the man who used to be her best friend and meant much more to her. A soft menacing chuckle from behind her froze the TASS agent in her tracks.

"What have we here," a large man asked in a slightly humorous tone of voice as he stepped from the shadows into the circle of light given off by the nearest torch affixed to the tunnel wall. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed a towering man that was nearly twice her size. Behind the large burly man Hermione saw another SOS member, this one tall and gangly looking with a grin upon his face as he eyed her. "I'm not sure how you managed to get past the others," the big man said, absently rubbing one hand over his other fist in anticipation of the violence to come, "but it seems your luck has run out."

"Don't go anywhere," Hermione whispered to Harry as she gently laid him upon the uneven floor, patting his shoulder affectionately. "I don't want to have to hurt you two," Hermione stated as she stood back up without turning about and rolled her stiff neck once to loosen the vertebrae.

The big man chuckled; the sound coming from deep within his barreled chest was full of mirth at her words. "Hear that Billy? The little bird is going to hurt us," he tossed back over his shoulder to the man behind him. Hermione spun about, a knife in each hand, raised in a defensive position. "Here now, why don't you just put those little things down before you hurt yourself," the burly man said upon seeing the knives in her hands.

"Aww let `er keep'em, Micky," said Billy. "You know how I like a little challenge, mate. Ain't hardly any fun if they don't be fighting back and what not," Billy said with a leer as his eyes ran up and down Hermione's black clad body. The material of her suit left very little to the imagination, even in the flickering light shed by the torch.

Hermione's hands suddenly flew to her ears in an attempt to cover them as the sound of gunshots rang out loudly through the tunnel, causing her ears to ring. Micky and Billy dropped like sacks of potatoes to the tunnel floor, dead before they even landed. "Jess that you?" Hermione quickly asked into the darkness from where the shots had come.

"No. It's bloody Crocodile Dundee," a snarky female voice replied back just before Jess stepped into view. After ensuring that there were no others in the immediate area she holstered her Glocks before turning on her friend and boss. "The next time you decide you want to go cave exploring, you might want to let me know so I can cover your pretty little arse, Granger!" Jess spat out angrily. The two had separated to do some reconnaissance of the area and it was only the sound of gun fire that had alerted the blonde witch that Hermione was in trouble.

"Sorry," Hermione offered with a guilty look. "I saw two of them heading down here and just decided to follow them," she offered with a slight shrug before she turned around and reached down to once again grab Harry. "I have to get Harry out of here," Hermione said even as she started to drag the wizard over the bodies of Billy and Micky. "He's hurt pretty bad."

"Damn, he doesn't look too good," Jess said as she reached down and grasped Harry under one arm while Hermione shifted over to the other one. The TASS agent took in Harry's pale complexion as well as the fact that she couldn't see his chest rise and fall and couldn't help but wonder if they were already too late to save him. _If she wants to drag his corpse back then that's what we'll do_ , she thought to herself with a mental shrug.

"We have to get beyond the effects of the dead zone so we can apparate to St. Bernadette's," said Hermione with a single mindedness that broached no disagreement. "Once we get him there they'll have him fixed up in no time!" Hermione's mind seized upon that one fact and would not let it go. "Madam Pomfrey was able to heal him every time he got injured," she rambled to herself. "I'm sure they won't have any problems at all. He'll be as good as new. You'll see!"

Jess eyed her boss as they continued to man-handle the wizard along the tunnel. The blonde witch wasn't certain if Hermione was trying to reassure her or convince herself. A quick glance at the man between them and she gave a silent prayer to the Powers That Be that they were in time to save him.

After the confines of the tunnel the chilled early morning air was a welcomed relief as they stepped out into the open. The two witches, wizard drug between them, quickened their pace now that there was more room to maneuver. In the East the horizon was beginning to show the first blushes of dawn. Hermione paused to gather her bearings before turning slightly to her left and starting off in what she knew to be the quickest way out of the dead zone.

Hermione twisted her wrist and her wand sprung from her wrist holster due to being spring-loaded, standard issue for all TASS members. Once they were away from the small settlement ever few yards the witch would whisper ' _Lumos_ ' to see if the wand lighting charm would work or not. " _Lumos_!" Hermione said with a bit more force than was required, growing increasingly frustrated by the absence of light from the tip of her wand. "Almost there," she whispered to herself upon finally seeing a spark of light appear.

Jess just grunted in agreement, not wishing to splinch themselves in their rush to get Harry to a healer. A few more ' _Lumos_ ' from Hermione and the light at the end of the witch's wand remained on longer and longer with each utterance. "A little further, just to be safe," the blonde witch advised upon seeing the hopeful look on her friends face and realizing that Hermione was going to try to apparate them right then and there.

"I think that's far enough," the rough voice of Bernard stated from behind them, quickly followed by the unmistakable sound of the hammer of a weapon being cocked back. "Why don't the both of you just drop him and then slowly turn about," the SOS member suggested down the barrel of Hermione's lost Glock 22, which was currently pointed at the three of them.

Jess glanced over towards Hermione and had just enough time to say, "Bloody Hell!" before she felt the familiar twisting sensation followed by the feeling of being sucked through a straw. Vaguely her ears registered the retort of a hand gun firing just before pain exploded in her chest. The next moment the three of them landed in a tangle of arms, legs and blood upon the floor of the waiting room at St. Bernadette's.

The next several minutes were a hectic blur to Hermione as Harry was pulled from her grasp and rushed into an emergency room by a team of healers. Jess, wounded in the chest, thought she was able to walk to the examination room to be treated but collapsed halfway there. The brunette witch was so relieved that they had actually made it back that she suddenly felt all the strength leave her body and slowly slumped to the floor. Two medi-witches quickly lifted her to a waiting table and wheeled her off to a separate room of her own.

"How's Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously as she sat up when the green robed healer walked into her room to examine her. The man was in his late fifties with a friendly face and thinning hair upon the top of his head. He was also a healer with whom Hermione had worked with before on numerous occasions. The witch knew that she could trust him not to let it get out that Harry Potter was there at St. Bernadette's. He was also the Healer who had first attended to her when Harry had brought her in with the shoulder injury after the attack at her flat.

"If you mean the young man you came in with," Healer Robbins replied while holding up a hand to forestall her from jumping off the table completely, "Healer Simmons and his team are working on him right now. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you Inspector Granger." Seeing the fear in her eyes he added, "You know we'll do everything we can to save him," he assured her as he waved his wand and started to determine the extent of her injuries.

Hermione gave a slight nod, knowing that St. Bernadette's had some of the best healers in the country. "How's Jess?" she asked suddenly recalling that her friend had been shot just as they were leaving and then collapsed on the floor unexpectedly.

"In better shape than you I'll wager," was the healers reply as he used his wand to clear a section of her suit from the wound so that he could get a better look at it. "This is going to hurt," he warned her before he waved his wand and summoned the metal fragments of the bullet that were inside of her. Ignoring Hermione's gasp of pain caused by the removal of the bullet, he applied a few additional spells and the wound was disinfected as well as closed, with an antiseptic ointment liberally applied.

"I'll have a medi-witch come in and wrap that for you. We're going to need to keep you for the next forty-eight hours," the healer told Hermione in the ' _no nonsense_ ' tone of voice he usually reserved for his most stubborn of patients. "I'll order a regiment of blood replenishing potions as you've managed to lose a great deal of your own. The injury will take some time to heal and will no doubt be as sore as heck for a while."

Hermione, all too concerned for Harry, didn't even attempt to argue with the man. "I want to be placed in a double room," she informed him of instead. "Once Harry is out of surgery he is to be placed in the same room with me." Her mind wouldn't even allow her to speculate on the possibility that the wizard wouldn't pull through. _I've never given up on Harry and I'll be damned if I'll do so now_ , she told herself silently.

"Inspector, it's against policy to have two adults of different genders share the same room unless they are married," Healer Robbins countered with. "I'm sorry but-."

"Healer Robbins," Hermione barked, holding up a hand and stopping him before he could say anything further. "This is a Ministry matter. I don't care how many rules need to be broken to accomplish it; you will have Harry in the same room as me! Just make it happen!"

It was five hours later when they wheeled Harry into her room. Hermione sat in her own bed and watched as the appropriate monitoring spells were set in place so that they could monitor Harry's condition. Once the team of medi-witches had left she turned and looked at the two Healers expectantly.

"This is Healer Simmons," Robbins offered in way of introductions. The short plump man with dark curly hair and deeply browned skin, indicating a foreign ancestry, gave a slight nod towards Hermione. "This is Inspector Granger, with Magical Law Enforcement," Healer Ribbins informed his colleague.

Hermione gave a slight nod towards the healer. "Give it to me straight. What's his condition? How long before he's back on his feet?"

Simmons glanced to the other Healer before licking his lips quickly. "We've done all we can for him currently, Inspector Granger. Magic can do a great deal, far more than Muggles can do with their medical science, but magic still has its limitations," he told her.

"Are you saying you doubt he'll pull through?" Hermione asked in a very business-like tone of voice while an ice cold knot of fear settled in the pit of her stomach. _He has to pull through_ , she thought fervently.

"Well," Simmons started to respond with hesitantly as if choosing his words carefully, "he was in pretty bad shape when he got to us. The amount of blood loss alone should have killed him."

"Yes or no, Healer Simmons," Hermione barked, not wanting to have to drag the information out of the man.

"We don't know," Robbins confessed.

"Frankly I'm surprised that he's still alive at all," Simmons continued, turning his gaze towards the wizard they were discussing. "The maxilla bone on the right side of his face was fractured in two places. His nasal bone was broken. The zygomatic bone below his left eye was shattered. His right lung was punctured through and had collapsed. Two of the bullets were lodged in his chest cavity while a third one severed his spine at the fifth Thoracic vertebrae."

"A lessor man would have died," Robbins concluded. "The next twenty-four hours will be critical for him," he added sympathetically. "It's up to him at this point. Merlin knows we've done all we can. Let's hope he can live up to him name of The-Boy-Who-Lived."

Hermione thanked the men and waited till they had left before using her wand to levitate one the rooms chairs next to Harry's bed. The seasoned witch downed the potions that had been left for her on the small table next to her bed, trying miserably to ignore their horrible taste. Gingerly, trying to ignore the ball of fire and pain that was her side; Hermione eased herself from her bed and slowly made her way to the chair she had previously placed next to the other bed in the room. Once seated, she took the wizard's chilled hand in hers, shocked at how pale and frail it looked.

"Don't you dare die on me, Harry," she said aloud to the man in the bed before her. "Don't you give up on me now!" After a bit the potions she had ingested began to take affect and she laid her head upon the edge of the mattress only to doze off still holding Harry's hand in hers.

**-oOo-**

The soft touch of something along her cheek slowly awoke her. Sleepily, Hermione opened her eyes and blinked, disoriented for a moment by her strange surroundings. As her head lay there confused, she once again felt the gentle caress upon her exposed cheek. Memories of the events that had happened just prior to falling asleep returned to her potion addled mind at the same moment she realized that it was the back of Harry's hand that was gently caressing her cheek. _Harry!_ Hermione sat up suddenly, catching Harry's hand in hers as her eyes searched the man's face for signs that he was awake.

"Careful or you'll wake the sleeping Angel next to me," Harry croaked, the corners of his battered lips turning up into the semblance of a smile, or as much of one as they could manage. With the amount of magic used on the wizard to repair his internal injures the healers did not want to risk using more to repair his busted lips or swollen eye.

Too many spells doing too much at once could actually be counterproductive as they tended to get in the way of each other. Many healing spells were designed to use the patient's own magical energy to affect a change in their condition. If too many spells were enacted at the same time the injured person may not have enough magical energy to feed them all. The results could be devastating, even fatal at times.

Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or cry at hearing his voice as well as his poor attempt at humor. The young witch, awash with relief and flooded with the remnants of her potions settled for doing both at the same time. "Harry!" she gasped feebly, leaning forward so that she could reach out and lay one palm along the side of his gauze wrapped head tenderly.

There was a sparkle of emerald green as the wizard cracked open his eye in response to his name. "Hey," he croaked softly as he regarded her for a long silent moment.

"Hey yourself," Hermione whispered back as she drank in the sight of him. He was alive and that was all that mattered to her.

"You okay?" Harry asked, the concern in his voice bringing a trembling smile to her lips. Freeing his hand from hers, Harry reached up and with the pad of his thumb brushed a tear from her cheek as he cupped the side of her face within the palm of his hand much as she was doing to him.

"I'll mend," she told him leaning into his hand even as she reached up and trapped his hand against her cheek as if she was fearful of letting him go. "How do you feel, Harry?"

"About the same as I did at the end of fifth year," he told her, bringing to mind his battle with Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic. Harry swallowed heavily, "You shouldn't have come," he admonished her softly, his voice barely above a whisper even as his thumb continued to caress the swell of her cheek. "I can't lose you too, Hermione."

"Hey," she replied with a watery smile, "I'm your best friend. I'm sure there's a clause written in there someplace that says I can't leave you behind. Who else is going to look after you if I don't, Harry?" she asked as her heart threatened to take flight at his admission. "I'm not going anyplace," she offered as she gently brushed her thumb along the side of his face.

"My own personal guardian angel?" Harry teased with a small crocked smile that reminded her so much of the boy she once knew in school.

"For as long as you'll have me," she replied with a soft chuckle as she realized she meant exactly what she said. Hermione realized in a moment of utter clarity that it had always been Harry. That was why every relationship she had ever attempted had failed. None of them were Harry. The witch wasn't certain just when she had given her best friend her heart but now that she realized the fact she found that it truly didn't matter. Hermione knew that try as she might to deny it; she was and always had been, in love with Harry Potter.

Harry gave her a long look before asking, "Davis?"

The young Inspector couldn't help the stab of pain she felt deep in her chest at the apparent rejection when he didn't say something similar back to her. "Dead," she told him as she withdrew her hand from his face and sat up so that her cheek was no longer cupped in the palm of his hand. "By your hand," she added. The wizard gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Does that satisfy your unbreakable vow?"

Harry looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes. "It does," he confessed quietly.

"Harry, I can't believe you did that!" Hermione scolded him. "What happens if you can't catch them all? You'll lose your magic, Harry! How irresponsible and reckless of you. You're the hero of the Wizarding World for Merlin's sake! People would be devastated if anything happened to you!" _I know I sure would be_ , she thought silently to herself even though her heart hurt.

Rather than become defensive as she thought he would, Harry gave a soft chuckle. "Fleur said much the same thing to me at the time," he told her.

"Then why, Harry?" Hermione asked, imploring him to explain his actions to her. "Why did you make her the oath anyways?"

A confused look crossed the wizard's face for a moment before he replied. "I didn't make the vow to her," Harry answered slowly. "He was a mess. If I didn't make the vow he would have gone after them himself, Hermione. I couldn't let him do that. There was no way he would have succeeded."

"Couldn't let who, Harry?" Hermione asked in a completely bewildered tone, having no clue what Harry was talking about by this time.

"Dean. Dean Thomas," said Harry. "Too many people had already died. I couldn't let him do it. If I had made certain that all of Voldemort's followers…that all the Death Eaters, were taken care of none of this would have happened. The Weasley's would still be alive and Ginny…," Harry's voice broke slightly with the emotions he was trying to hold in check. "Ginny's daughter would have been born just before she and Dean were to be married."

It didn't take long for the bright witch to put two and two together. The Weasley's had taken Harry in and treated him like any other member of the family. Harry believed that the attack at the Burrow occurred because he was supposed to be there that evening. The Death Eaters were trying to get back at him for destroying their master. Hermione knew without a doubt, just as before with the death of his own parents, Harry blamed himself for the death of the Weasley family. Hermione knew, only because she knew the wizard with her so well, that he carried the guilt of believing to have been the cause of the death of his family twice now.

Hermione didn't try to tell him that it wasn't his fault as she knew that he would never listen to her words. Harry could be very stubborn when he wanted to be. Suddenly she recalled something Jess had told her concerning the report of that night and the words left her lips before she even thought about it. "Why were you on your way here that night, Harry?"

Harry turned his head to regard her once again before he answered her. "I had lost something very important to me. I was coming to try and find her…find you," the hit wizard said, the last part barely above a whisper.

"W…why?" Hermione barely managed to get out past the lump that was suddenly firmly lodged in her throat at his admission.

" _You promised me, Harry_ ," said the voice of a small girl within Harry's head.

" _S…Sara?_ " Harry thought to himself in disbelief. " _How?_ "

" _You promised you would tell her_ ," Sara's voice scolded him, ignoring his question. " _It was my last wish, Harry! You told me you would do anything!_ "

" _It can't be you. I held you as you died_ ," Harry told the voice in his head as his emotions and thought reeled under the probability of it actually being the deceased girl.

Sara's soft musical giggle, the one that he knew so well, sounded within his thoughts at his comment. " _Oh Harry! Weren't you the one always telling me how special I was?_ "

" _Which you were always quick to deny_ ," Harry fired back.

Once again there was the sound of the girl's cute giggle. " _A girl is entitled to keep a few secrets isn't she?_ " Harry had no answer to that, as she knew he wouldn't. " _Just tell her, Harry._ "

" _I can't_ ," Harry confessed.

" _Look, you always told me that you loved me, didn't you_?" Sara's voice asked. " _Why were you able to tell me that?_ "

" _Because I do love you_ ," Harry stated.

" _Just as you love Hermione_ ," Sara insisted. " _Now all you have to do is tell her._ "

Harry looked at the witch sitting next to his bed and noted the slightly expectant look upon her face. _Hermione has always been there for me. Through everything that happened at Hogwarts she stuck by my side. Even the few times we disagreed_ , he thought to himself as he recalled the incident with the firebolt, _it was because she was concerned for me_.

Harry swallowed heavily before moistening his lips as he pondered how best to answer her question. The entire conversation with the Sara within his head had taken less than a moment it seemed. "I'm not very good at this," he opened with as he slid his hand over into hers. He couldn't help but notice her hand was trembling slightly as he took it within his own.

"In the past, people I've come to care about," Harry paused and dropped his eye to their joined hands. "Well, those I…love…tend not to live long," Harry said in a rush, trying to get the words out before his nerve failed him. _I'm the most feared hit wizard in the world and I can't even tell her how I feel about her. How I've always felt about her_ , he chastised himself mentally. A soft giggle within his head was the quick response from Sara. Looking up his eye met hers and he saw the confused expression on her face.

"So…you love me as a friend?" Hermione asked hesitantly, not certain what Harry was trying to tell her. _It almost sounded like he said he loved me_ , she thought to herself only to quickly dismiss the possibility of such a thing happening.

"No, a little more than that," Harry admitted softly.

"Like a sister then?" Hermione enquired slowly, trying to ignore the pain in her chest. She had often thought that Harry thought of her as such when they were attending Hogwarts together. There was never really any evidence to the contrary that she had seen. During the time they had spent alone in the tent, while on the horcrux hunt, Harry had been nothing other than brotherly to her. _I even left the bedroom curtain open when changing, hoping to catch him peeking and he didn't_ , she recalled sadly.

Harry gave a slight shake of his head without taking his eye from her. "No, more than just a sister," he told her.

"What are you saying, Harry?" Hermione asked, having run out of the types of love she thought he might have for her.

"Look, I haven't had many examples of love in my life," Harry said, deciding to bite the wand and just lay it out as best he could. "Everything good in my life and every wonderful memory I possess all have one thing in common, you, Hermione. I was on my way here that night because I realized I had lost the best thing in my life ever. I was so busy trying to figure out where I belonged after we defeated Voldemort that I didn't realize I was already right where I was meant to be…beside you, Hermione."

"I can't tell you what love is, never having truly experienced it before," Harry stammered finding that now that he had started speaking that he couldn't stop till he had gotten everything out that he had been holding within in for all these years. "If there is anyone who I would say I love it would be you Hermione Granger. You are my best friend and I only regret that it has taken me this long to tell you how I've felt since our fourth year!" Harry could do little more than lay there and stare at the shocked expression Hermione wore. His confession costing him what little energy he seemed to have recovered while sleeping.

" _Thank you, Harry_ ," Sara's voice said inside Harry's head. " _I can rest in peace now. You're a good good man and a better friend, who deserves to be happy. I truly do love you Harry Potter!_ "

" _And I you, my little Angel_ ," Harry replied even though he could feel that Sara's presence was no longer with him.

_This can't be happening_ , Hermione's mind was screaming at her. _I must have been hit on the head or something! Maybe I slipped into a comma and this is all a dream?_ She well and true knew that it was a dream. One she had given up any hope of ever coming true. The bright witch had realized in her third year that she was falling for her best friend. Harry was sweet and caring while being tentative to what she said. He was everything all the other boys were not.

It had taken her nearly till the end of their fifth year at Hogwarts to realize that her dreams of being with Harry would never come true. Even if she waited a life time she believed her dream would just remain that, a dream. It wasn't because she felt that she wasn't good enough for Harry or that she couldn't compete with the multitude of fangirls at the school who only saw The-Boy-Who-Lived either.

Hermione knew that she was just as pretty while being far more capable of making Harry happy than the other girls. After all, who knew Harry better than she did? The fact that had caused her countless sleepless nights of crying after realizing they would never be was none other than Harry himself. In all the time they were together he had never treated her as anything other than a friend.

"Do…do you hate me now?" Harry's voice asked, sounding drained and tired.

"What?" Hermione asked, blinking several times as she realized that the two of them had been silent for an inordinate amount of time after Harry's confession.

"You must hate me now," Harry stated softly as he looked away.

Hermione's answer, when it came, was sudden and startled the injured wizard. "No!" the young witch gasped as she suddenly clutched his hand in both of hers. "Merlin, no! Harry I feel the same way!" she revealed to him.

"What?" Harry gapped in disbelief, his eye opening painfully wide. "When? How?"

"Third year. Not that it matters," Hermione said with a small watery smile. "I may be the brightest witch of the age but it didn't take you saving my life more than three times for me to realize that I was falling in love with my best friend!" Hermione said, making an attempt at humor.

"You always were a quick learner," Harry offered with a small smile as his eyes began to drop closed. The injured wizard had nearly reached his limits. "What now?" he enquired in a sleepy tone of voice as he fought a losing battle to stay awake.

"Now, you get some rest," Hermione told Harry before bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it softly. "Once you're healed up we can discuss where to go from here.

"Yes Inspector Granger," Harry mumbled as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Hermione laid her head down upon the edge of the mattress once more and soon joined Harry in dozing offing. The Healers, much to their chagrin and her discomfort from the subsequent scolding, found her there a few hours later when they stopped in to check on their patients.

**-oOo-**

Hermione was seated behind her desk reading over the reports that had accumulated during her brief hospital stay. Today was her first day back in the office, having been officially discharged earlier that morning. The young Inspector had spent some time sitting next to Harry's bed while he slept. The Healers, however satisfied with his improving condition, were taking no chances and had kept the hit wizard in an induced slumber for the past several days. This meant that she hadn't had a chance to talk to him since their last discussion. The healers assured her that they would awaken him in a few more days, once they felt he was ' _Out of the Woods_ ' as they put it.

Even after three days she still couldn't believe it. There were moments when she caught herself grinning like a loon for no other reason than recalling that Harry loved her. _He actually told me that he loved me!_ The knock at her door did nothing to remove the smile that seemed to have become a permanent resident upon her face these days. "Come in," she called out, absently setting the report she had been holding back on the desk top.

Hermione stood upon seeing Agent Smith and Willis enter her office. "Ma`am," Agent Smith offered with a sharp nod. "How's the injury?"

"Itches like crazy," Hermione replied, absently rubbing her shirt over where the bandage was, "but on the mend," she assured both men. "No dark magic involved this time apparently."

"They say that's a good sign that it's healing," Agent Willis stated conversationally in reference to the itching.

"What can I do for MIB today gentlemen?" Hermione enquired as she seated herself once again while motioning to the two agents to be seated as well.

"We just wanted to stop by and tender our farewells in person," Smith replied without taking the offered seat. They had a long flight ahead of them and they would be sitting far longer than he would have liked to.

"Leaving already?" Hermione asked with a slightly arched brow. The TASS leader liked the two men and had found working with them to be an enjoyable experience. Hermione knew she would miss them both.

"Yes, Ma`am," Smith stated with a small smile. "The Brass has called us back now that our task is done here. No rest for the weary or the wicked, apparently." Hermione just nodded in agreement, fully understanding that there was always something to be done.

"Here I was hoping to stay and work on my tan," Willis inserted with a chuckle, eliciting a grin from the only witch present.

"Careful or you might get mistaken for a lobster and tossed on someone's barbie," Hermione counter with good naturedly, taking a shot at the very pale skinned agent.

Smith chuckled at the playful exchange knowing all too well how easily his partner sunburned. "Too bad we didn't catch the guy that shot Jess. How's she doing?" he asked, concerned for the injured TASS member.

"Better now," Hermione informed them. "The bullet nicked an artery which they didn't know till she collapsed in the lobby. They were able to save her and she should be back to work within the next week of so they tell me. I'll be stopping by to see her latter this evening if you'd like me to relay any messages?" Hermione asked with a glance towards Agent Willis. During the entire joint operation she had noticed that Willis and Jess were getting awfully close to one another in more ways than just proximity.

Willis coughed bashfully behind one hand which he used to cover the slight blush he was sporting at her knowing look. "No need as we'll swing by on the way out, but thank you, Inspector."

Hermione just grinned in response, wondering if there was anything really there between the two of them. With Jess, she knew that there was no telling. _I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens._ "Gentlemen, it has been a pleasure to work with you," Hermione said as she stood once more, trying to ignore the twinge of pain in her side. "If you're ever out this way again, please be sure to stop in."

"The pleasure has been all ours, Inspector," Smith said as he accepted her proffered hand and gave it a shake. "If you're ever in the States, please do the same," he told her as Willis took his turn and shook her hand as well. After assuring them that she would, she saw them out.

**-oOo-**

It was much later that evening when a tired, and extremely sore, Hermione made her way to St. Bernadette's. The head of TASS first checked in on her friend, Jess, to insure that she was recovering nicely. The two women sat and talked for a while with most of Jess' comments alluding to future sexual acts that Hermione and Harry would be up to just as soon as Hermione's ' _pet hit wizard_ ', as Jess liked to refer to Harry as, was better. Hermione laughed and shrugged off the comments knowing that they were meant in jest; however all this talk about Harry only had her missing him more and more.

Hermione quickened her pace as the door to Harry's room came into view. Barely pausing to push open the door the witch entered the room only to freeze in her tracks at what she saw.

"May I help you?" asked a young medi-witch in training that was cleaning up the room. The girl couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen years old.

"What…where is the man that was in that bed?" Hermione finally manage to get her mouth to ask.

The young witch glanced at the bed that had already been stripped of linen and then back at the woman who had just barged into the room suddenly realizing just who it was standing there in the doorway. "He left with the other Americans, Inspector," the girl replied smartly.

"When?" Hermione enquired softly.

"Earlier this morning, ma`am," the girl was all too happy to supply, believing she was being as helpful to the Inspector as she could be.

"I see," Hermione mumbled. "Thank you," she offered before turning and leaving the room, allowing the door to swing close behind her. _Harry's gone. Harry left me._ Her mind repeated these two facts over and over again as she left the hospital. _But Harry said he loved me?_ Try as she might she couldn't seem to get from the fact that Harry loved her to the reality that they apparently wouldn't be together after all. _Was it all a lie?_ Somehow she managed to find her car and drive off. The next thing she knew she was pulling into the driveway of the Wilkin's house. Hermione Granger needed the one person she knew she could always rely on, the one person who would always love her and never leave her. Hermione Granger wanted her mother!


	10. Chapter 10

The first couple of days Hermione had been understanding and remained hopeful, even optimistic. The next stage, which lasted several days as well, she had been angered. The timing was actually fairly advantageous and highly beneficial as TASS was working to clean up the remaining SOS members that had been left behind in the wake of Davis' demise. The fact that they were unable to locate the SOS member responsible for nearly killing Jess only fueled her boiling temper. People learned to quickly find some other place to be when they saw her walking through the halls rather than risk her sharp tongue.

Chief Inspector Edward Barns had to finally called the witch into his office, telling her that she had exactly five minutes to get out of his sight as well as out of the building or she would being spending the next week within a Ministry containment cell. A number of other department heads had already contacted him about their people being chewed out or having their heads bit off by the irate woman stalking the hallways. While Ed Barns may not know what exactly what the cause of Hermione's wrath was, he hadn't gotten to where he was without being able to tell when a break was needed for one of his people.

Hermione toddled down the stairs from her bedroom at the Wilkins house, still in her pajamas and with her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. It was the third day of her forced two week vacation assigned to her by her boss. The young witch's anger had finally burned itself out only to be replaced by dejection, which was ever so slowly giving way to acceptance. Replaying the events over and over within her head didn't seem to help, as it just left her as confused as she had been before.

It had already been ten days since the last time she had seen Harry and twelve since he had told her that he loved her. _So why? Why did he leave_? Being one of the brightest witches of her age she did not like to _not_ understand something, especially when that something involved herself. Making her way to the couch, she sat and curled her legs beneath her, before pulling the afghan laying there over her lower extremities, just as she had done the previous day and would probably do tomorrow.

_So he had to return with Smith and Willis_ , she tried to reason it out to herself, just as she had done several time previously. _That still doesn't explain why he couldn't have come himself and say goodbye?_ Hermione's mind returned to the last time she had seen the Hit Wizard. _Harry had been severally injured and probably couldn't get out of bed_ , she reminded herself, realizing they must have had to transport him back to the States. _Still, he could have at least sent word or had someone else do it if he wasn't able to!_

There in was the crux of the matter as she saw it. She really didn't know what was going on and the not knowing was eating away at her. Lost in thought Hermione absently began to chew upon her lower lip. _Harry did say he loved me_ , she pondered that fact as she continued to nibble. There had been several times now, their occurrence happening more frequently as the days passed without word from Harry, where she began to doubt what he had imparted to her. _Perhaps I heard him wrong or misinterpreted his meaning_ , she would tell herself.

_No_ , Hermione thought with a slight shake of her head. _Harry told me that he loved me and had for some time. He may be several things but Harry has never been one to saying something like that without meaning it. The Harry I knew wouldn't have lied to me!_ Though the witch could tell herself this is was becoming increasingly hard to believe in her thoughts. _But is he still the Harry that I knew?_ , she asked herself.

Monica Wilkins walked into the living room carrying a hot cup of tea which she placed on the end table next to her daughter before taking a seat in the armchair near at hand. Turning her eyes towards the young woman seated on the couch she saw Hermione's head give a small shake as if she was denying something that only she knew of. A gentle disapproving smile graced the older woman's lips as she saw Hermione was once again chewing upon her lower lip. "Please stop chewing on your lip, Dear" she scolded gently.

"Sorry, Mum," came the automatic response from the young woman who was to lost in her own thoughts to pay much attention to anything else.

"I guess there are just some habits that can't be broken," Hermione's mother stated wistfully, with a soft sigh of disappointment. "Lord knows you've done it ever since you were a little child."

"Was she chewing on her lip again?" Hermione's father asked with a humorous twinkle in his eyes as he entered the room from the kitchen carrying a tray with a small tea pot and settings for him and his wife. "Nasty habit that," he agreed upon sitting the tray down gently. "How do expect a man to kiss you if your lips are all chewed up, Dear?" Nigel Granger teased Hermione. "Maybe she picked it up from one of the other children in primary school?" he asked, looking towards his wife.

"It's not that bad of a habit!" Hermione replied defensively while looking plaintively at them both. The young witch none the less stopped chewing on her lip. Her parents, for as long as she could recall had pestered her to stop chewing on her lip. The truth of the matter was that she never actually realized that she was doing it till one of them pointed it out to her. Not being something done intentionally made it all the harder of a habit to break. Hermione opened her mouth to defend herself when realization fell on her like a ton of bricks. "What did you say?" she asked looking at her father in disbelief.

"I said you probably picked it up from one of the kids at your primary school," he replied with a soft smile at the dawning look upon his daughter's face.

"How…how would you know about my primary school?" Hermione asked in utter confusion.

"Why we are your parents, Hermione dear," Abigail Granger replied to her daughter's question. "I should think we would recall something like that."

Hermione turned towards her mother only to see the elder Granger smiling brightly with watery brown eyes. "You've got your memories back?" Hermione asked in the barest of whispers. "But how?" Not waiting for an answer, the young witch launched herself across the small distance and into her mother's expectant arms. It wasn't but a moment more before she felt her father's arms wrap around the two of them from behind her in what then became a family hug. It was some time and many tears later before they were all once again seated, though this time Hermione found herself in the middle of the couch with a parent on either side of her. "How…how did this happen?" Hermione asked once again as she struggled to reign in her emotions and happiness at having her parents back.

"It was the strangest thing," Nigel Granger answered. "That young man of yours, the one from before, showed up just as your Mum and I was sitting down for breakfast. The next thing I knew I couldn't move and then…," the witch's father had to blink a few times and clear his throat before he could continue, "well, I'm not certain what happened next to tell you the truth. I felt a pain in the back of my head as if I had just awaken from spending the better part of the night down at the local pub and had three too many pints to boot. Then just like that it was gone and I suddenly remembered I had a beautiful daughter that was a witch," Nigel chuckled in a slightly disbelieving tone as his eyes sprung a small leak. "I think it was more of a shock this time around than before. At least then we knew there was something different about you due to all the happenings when you were a little one."

"You're…not mad at me are you?" Hermione asked hesitantly, glance between her parents apprehensively. She had always feared that when she found her parents and restored their memories that they would be furious with her for what she had done to them without their consent.

"Your young gentlemen explained it to us," Abigail replied, giving her daughter's hand a gentle squeeze. "I can't say I'm thrilled with what you did Dear, but we're alive and I'm certain you did what you thought you had to."

"I thought I had lost you guys forever," Hermione confessed as she turned into her mother's shoulder only to feel the older woman's arm slip around her and hold her protectively in a loving embrace, rocking her back and forth ever so slightly. Nigel stood and slipped out of the room and into the kitchen for a second to allow the two women a moment of privacy. "Wait!" Hermione exclaimed, sitting back to eye her mother intensely, "You said it was the same man from before?"

Abigail nodded slowly, "Yes Dear. It was your friend Harry," she confirmed before her expression changed to one of concern tinged with sorrow. "Are you certain the poor boy is eating correctly? He looked terrible pale and thin."

"Harry was here?" Hermione asked, once again in utter belief. _Seems to be my mode of operation for the day_ , she thought absently to herself.

"I doubt it could have been anyone else," Nigel replied as he walked back into the room carrying a gift wrapped box in his hands. "I can't imagine many others with a scar such as that as well as that eye patch!"

"The poor boy," Abigail added, agreeing with her husband. "I don't even want to think about what might have befallen him to cause that scar and the loss of his eye," she said with a slight shudder.

Nigel simply nodded in agreement before thrusting out the box towards Hermione. "Here you are, Dear."

"What's this?" Hermione asked as she set the box down upon the coffee table and stared at the big red bow on the top of it. Tucked under the bow and the ribbon that surrounded the box was an envelope with her name written on it.

"We've been sort of wondering as well," Nigel confessed with a small chuckle. "He asked that we give it to you when you woke up."

Hermione slowly reached out and retrieved the envelope from its resting place. Opening it she slipped out the single piece of folded parchment and read it.

_Dearest Hermione,_

_I hope you are not mad with me. I wanted to get you something special and thought what could be more special than your parents? As it was for you, I was certain there would be no problem removing the memory charms. I have faith that had you attempted it you would have accomplished the same results I did. There is nothing you can't do when you put that fabulous mind of yours to it. I'll explain to them as best I can about the war, Voldemort and what happened back in England._

_The first item in the box is for you. Being the bright witch that you are I'm certain you'll know what to do with it. The second item is for your parents, though you may enjoy it as well. At least I hope so. If you are not too angry with me I would love the pleasure of your company tonight at 9 please. Dress in what we muggles would equate to '_ Formal Attire _', please._

_Love,  
Harry_

Hermione's brows creased in confusion as she turned the short letter over to see if there was anything on the backside of it or not only to see that it was blank. Carefully refolding the letter she set it aside before turning and untying the red ribbon. Gingerly the young witch wiggled the lid off the square box and peeked inside. _What the_?, was her first thought as she reached in and drew out the item.

The Grangers glances at each other for a moment before Nigel asked the question they were both thinking. "A basketball?"

Sudden understanding dawned upon the witch as she recalled the last time she had seen a basketball. _It must be a portkey that will activate tonight at nine o'clock to take me to wherever Harry is_ , she silently reasoned. Hermione tossed the ball up slightly before letting it settle in the palm of her hand once again. "It's a little inside joke from Harry," she explained to her parents, "So that I'll know it is really from him."

"There's something else in there," Mr. Granger stated as he was leaning over the top of the box and peered down into it.

Hermione set the ball aside, uncertain just yet if she was going to go or not. _He's left me hanging all this time without even a peep and then all of sudden he expects me to drop everything and meet him_ , she growled to herself silently. _And he expects me to dress up as well!_ Reaching into the box she extracted the last item which increased in size and thickness as soon as it left the top of the container.

It was a book, bound in expensive dark brown leather. In brass letters on the front of the book was her name ' _Hermione_ '. The letters, she could tell, were tarnished as well as slightly worn as if someone had brushed their fingertips across them countless times. Being no stranger to books, it was apparent to Hermione that whoever had owned this book had taken care of it much as someone would a treasured possession. Though the edges and corners showed signs of repeated use, as well as slight wear, it was over all in wonderful condition.

The rectangular book was larger than the box itself, which accounted for the fact that it had expanded once past the top of the box the way it had, she reasoned. Hermione didn't even notice her parents take seats, flanking her closely on either side, as she opened the front cover to reveal the first page. The initial page held a wizarding photo in that the occupant of the image actually moved. Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she suddenly recognized the image.

"Hermione, Dear. Is that you?" the witch's father asked as he peered at the small girl with bushy brown hair that walked up to a door and after sliding it open began to speak.

"Turn it up, dear," Nigel suggested. "I can't hear what you're saying."

There is no sound, Dad," Hermione informed him of, drawing a disappointed frown from the man. Hermione didn't need sound to know what the girl in the image was saying "Have either of you seen a toad? Apparently a boy named Neville has lost his," she repeated softly in time with the image. It was the first time she had meet Ron and Harry on the Hogwarts Express at the start of her first year.

Turning the page there was an image showing her seated upon a stool with the Sorting Hat upon her head. "That was the Sorting Hat in my first year," she explained to her parents as she reached out and gently touched the surface of the image causing her younger self to laugh and shy away from her finger tip. "It wasn't certain if it should place me in Ravenclaw or not but finally settled on Gryffindor," she told them both as she removed her hand from the image.

The next several pages held images of Hermione in her many classes at Hogwarts. The young witch pointed out the various teachers, allowing her parents to finally place faces to names they had until then only heard of in letters. Professor Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling merrily, was giving a speech in the great hall before all the students. Professor McGonagall, Hermione's head of house, leapt from her desk and transformed from a tabby feline to a human right before a gobsmacked Ronald Weasley.

As she flipped through her first year, pausing long enough to show her parents what a mountain troll, unconscious upon the girl's bathroom floor looked like, she couldn't help but be touched. Second year flew past with an assortment images of her including her seated in the stands for a Quidditch match and many of her with her head buried in a one large tome or another in the library. These were all taken as profile shots as if whoever had taken them had been right there with her and had simply glanced over, capturing the moment in time.

Turning the page towards the end of her second year Hermione suddenly felt as if she had been kicked in the chest. Her breath froze in her lungs and it was as if she had forgotten how to breathe. The page before her eyes had far more considerable wear than any of the previous ones or ones to come she would soon discover. There were spots that looked surprisingly as if someone had allowed water to drip upon the page, which was in stark contrast to all the other pages. _They look like tear drops marks_ , a back corner of her mind speculated. It was not the condition of the page itself that had stolen her breath but rather the image on the page.

_I've seen this before_ , she thought even as she recalled it was the very same image that Sara had shown to her. _It's Harry's reason for continuing on!_ The image before her showed the large wooden double doors of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. As she watch, one of the doors opened and a much shorter as well as younger version of herself stepped through them. _That must have been directly after Madam Pomfrey released from the infirmary after I had been petrified._

The young witch's eyes in the photo seemed to scan the room, as if looking for something or someone, before zeroing in on one person in particular. Even as TASS agent watched she saw her younger self run across the intervening space, bushy hair blowing behind her in the wake of her passage, and launch herself into the arms of none other than her best friend, Harry Potter.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione breathed softly, unaware of having spoken aloud or of the amount of love in her voice as she did so. In the photo before her the smile on Harry's face was one that she had never seen before. It was filled with such joy and happiness that it nearly brought the now twenty-eight year old witch to tears just seeing it. The stunned witch felt her mother's arm slip around her shoulders supportively.

"I think he may have started loving you right at that moment, Dear," Abigail said thoughtfully, turning to watch the scene play out once again.

"I…I never realized," Hermione replied slowly, unable to take her eyes from the image and Harry's smile as the two of them hugged each other there in the middle of the Great Hall in front of everyone at Hogwarts in their second year. "I…I never knew," she mumbled, echoing again what she had told Sara that night in the hospital room.

Eventually Nigel had to reach out and turn the page for he feared that his daughter would never be able to do so. At least not on her own. The majority of the day was spent going through the remaining years at Hogwarts as well as their hunt for the Horcruxs, accumulating with the final defeat of Voldemort. There were several pages with images of the different funerals they had attended before they came to an image Hermione recalled all too well.

"That is the plane that I boarded to fly from London to Perth," she told her parents. "Harry and Ron were both there to see me off. I thought I would just be gone for a week or so and then be back and we'd all be together like old times," Hermione confessed with a sad chuckle at her naivety. Turning the page it showed a photo of her disembarking a different plane. "That's me arriving here at Sydney," Hermione explained only to pause. "How would Harry have that image?" she mumbled to herself.

Quickly looking through the next several images they showed various scenes from the first two years when she was hunting for her parents. There was even an image of when she had final found the Wilkins. Hermione turned the page in disbelief, wondering how Harry had gotten the photos only to pause yet once again. The image was of her and Jess. Her blonde friend Jess was seated in a booth with her ' _pursuit of the week_ ' date beside her and next to Jess Hermione saw herself. She was seated next to one of the guys that had gone through training with them. From the looks of it they were at a club celebrating. In the image she could see herself laughing and having a good time as she casually slung her leg over the leg of the guy next to her.

"David," Hermione said, recalling the man's name. It wasn't really that hard to do as he would be the one she lost her virginity to later that night. _You never forget your first_ , she thought to herself only to quickly follow it up with, _no matter how much you wish you could!_

"Who is the bloke with the military style haircut and his arm draped around you?" Nigel asked curiously.

"No one of importance," Hermione replied honestly as she hastily turned the page. The remaining photos covered her graduation from training as well as the years she had spent working her way up through the ranks of Magical Law Enforcement. Once the pictures ran out there were numerous newspaper clippings and articles which all pertained to her. _How did he get these?_ , she wondered for about the hundredth time since opening the book. _There are photos in here that I know for a fact there were no camera's around for!_ _Hell our first meeting on the Express it was just the three of us!_ Hermione tried to puzzle it all out but couldn't figure out how Harry could possibly have some of the images. _He wasn't even there for the ones that took place here in Australia!_

With a resigned sigh the only witch in the room closed the book and set it aside before rising to her feet. "If I'm going to see him, I had best get ready," she told her parents. _I guess the only way I'm going to get the answers I need is to play along and meet him tonight._ Hermione couldn't help but wonder if Harry had actually planned it that way. Turning she gave her father and mother brief hugs and a peck upon the cheek. "I'll probably be home late so don't wait up for me," she said over her shoulder as she started up the stairs so she could get dolled up. _Damn, when was the last time I shaved?_

**-oOo-**

The man sat at the airport in Perth and fingered the slip of paper in his hand once again, reading the words and information printed on the boarding pass. It was still another hour till they would begin the boarding process of the British Airways flight scheduled for non-stop service to London. _It will be good to be back home finally_ , Bernard thought to himself. It had been far longer than he cared to recall since last he was there, having left when Trent Davis had.

Glancing about, he scowled in displeasure at all the Muggles rushing from place to place like disgusting cockroaches. The man detested using any Muggle means of transportation almost as much as he detested the Muggles themselves. "No pureblood would be caught dead associating with Muggles," he grumbled softly under his breath as if repeating a mantra. Of course this was the very reason he was there after all. _No one will be looking for me here._

As the time ticketed away, the fugitive kept an eye out for anyone that might possibly be with the Australian Magical Law Enforcement. When they announced that they begin boarding in just a few moments Bernard realized that he had outsmarted them yet once again. "Ignorant Half-bloods and worthless mud-bloods!" he grunted as he got to his feet and made his way to the nearest loo.

Bernard smiled to himself at his own luck as the men's loo was apparently empty, which was a rarity at airports. A fact he had learned while traveling with Davis, who had thought that they needed to be able to blend in with the muggles and hence had used their modes of transportation frequently. An ice cold chill traversed the man's spine while he was in the midst of doing his business, as the tip of a wand touched him upon the back of his neck.

"Hello Bernard," Harry greeted the SOS member with. "It's amazing what a few low powered Muggle Repellant charms can accomplish isn't it?" Harry chuckled though his tone help very little humor to it. "Now I believe there was a certain question about if the Cruciatus Curse, applied in short burst could kill a man, and if so just how long would it take?" Bernard opened his mouth to say something but instead heard the last thing he ever wanted to hear from Harry, "S _tupefy_!"

**-oOo-**

Hermione stood and looked in the full length mirror that hung upon the back of her closet door. What she saw was a woman with a nice figure, long of leg, slender of hip but with enough curve to be almost called shapely. A flat stomach beneath more than an ample bust line, certain to draw a few stares as well as a couple of double takes on occasions. The black lacy pushup bra she had on wasn't really needed, but certainly added a little extra something to the overall image.

The little black dress she wore was form fitting and hugged her body in all the right places as it stretched to nearly the floor. Unlike the black one-piece suit she had worn to rescue Harry, her dress did not fit like a second skin but rather in such a manner as to draw a man's attention and then keep him guessing as to the possible forbidden treasure that was certainly just beneath its fabric. Hermione had bought the thing a while ago at Jess' urging, but had never really found the right opportunity to wear it, till now. The slit up the left side allowed a goodly amount of shapely leg to peek out as she turned to see how her bum looked in the mirror.

_Leave me alone and wondering for nearly two weeks_ , the young woman seethed silently to herself as she turned to regard her other side in the mirror as well. _I'll let him see just what he's been missing_ , she planned with an evil smirk. "Maybe then he'll be a little more considerate of how I feel!" she said aloud to herself. For the moment she allowed her bravado to carry her forward with her preparations for the evening.

In truth, the witch's mind was in turmoil. All during the time she busied herself with getting ready, she had puzzled over the photo album and as yet hadn't come to any satisfactory conclusion to the conundrum. It just wasn't possible for Harry, who lived under close supervision thousands of miles away, to have photos of those events. Even as a small child she had never liked _not_ knowing something. It vexed her as nearly nothing else in the world could. One way or another she planned to get answers to her questions tonight.

At precisely 9 o'clock she felt the sensation of a hook pulling her just behind her navel and she couldn't breathe. It seemed to go on for far longer than it should have to deliver her to the basketball court behind the school. When the portkey finally did release her she couldn't keep herself from staggering, only to be steadied by a strong arm around her waist.

"Alright there, Granger?" Harry asked humorously as he caught her with one arm and waited the second it took for her to gain her balance before he released her. He hated magical travel, having spent far too much time on his arse or picking himself up off the floor due to it. Still he wasn't above finding humor in others who reminded him of himself. The fact that she was his friend and dressed to the hilt certainly didn't hurt either. Harry found it very difficult to take his eyes off of his best friend.

"I'm fine, Potter!" Hermione spat out a tad bit harsher than she had initially intended to. She, like most people, didn't like making a fool of themselves, especially in front of the person they loved. "Sorry," she quickly added abashedly as she took in the black tuxedo he was wearing, thinking that he still cleaned up very nicely. "It's been an interesting day," she offered in way of excuse to which he simply gave a brief nod of understanding. It wasn't often that you got your parents back after all. "Where are we, Harry?" Hermione finally asked as she looked about at the furnishing, having taken longer than she would like to admit to pull her eyes from the dashing wizard with her.

"Home," Harry simply replied to her question as he gestured to the modestly furnished living room they were standing in. It was only then that she looked over his shoulder and out the large windows behind him. In the bright sunshine of mid-day she could see the very distinct panoramic skyline of Washington D.C. complete with the White House in the distance. "My home, actually," he added with a mischievous grin that set her pulse to racing.

The witch's jaw nearly hit the floor. _No wonder the portkey took so long_ , she reasoned, _considering the distance it had to take me._ "You do know you've just broken about a dozen foreign and domestic laws and violated several treaties concerning international travel between Australia and the United States, right?"

Harry gave her a roguish grin and rubbed his hands together as he answered her. "Rather invigorating, isn't it?"

Hermione found herself grinning, the wizard's youthful exuberance rubbing off on her as well, not to mention that grin of his! "So you had me get all dolled up just to show me where you live?" she asked with one arched brow, determined not to be distracted by Harry's clothes and good looks. _He's the one who left me without a word_ , she reminded herself.

"No. Certainly not," Harry assured her. "I have an entire night planned for you, Ms. Granger."

"You do realize it is noon here in Washington, right?" she asked, having quickly done the math in her head for the fifteen hour time difference.

"Really?" was Harry's shocked reply that was so over the top and exaggerated that Hermione knew instantly it had to be contrived. "Imagine that? I guess we'll need to do something about that," he said, as he raised his arm in an exaggerated gesture to glance at his wrist watch as if he was checking the time.

"Harry James Potter, what have you got up your sleeve?" Hermione asked with a smirk as her eyes danced merrily at his antics. She just couldn't help herself as she was pulled in by his playful manner. This was a side of Harry that she rarely got to see, even back at Hogwarts.

Harry seemed to fiddle with his watch as if he was setting the time. Once satisfied with the device he offered her his arm. "If you'll do me the honor, Ms. Granger?" Hermione realized that she wasn't going to get any answers unless she played along and so she dutifully stepped to his side, slipping her hand into the crook of Harry's elbow as if he were escorting her. "You may want to hold on tightly," he warned her before pushing in the pin on the side of his watch.

There was a blur of colors and sensations all at the same time. It felt like they were falling but upwards instead of downwards. Almost as quickly as it had started it stopped and the startled witch glanced about them only to see they were in the exact same place they had started. It wasn't till she opened her mouth to ask what that had been about about that she noticed that outside the windows the sun had just apparently set, leaving a blushing swath of pink and orange across the lower edge of the horizon. "Your watch is a time turner?" she asked, having deduced the fact of it in an instant.

"Right in one, Ms. Granger," Harry said with an appreciative smile for her intelligence.

Behind them a door opened and then closed. "Oh I see you've made it?" Harry said only it wasn't the Harry standing beside her that had spoken but rather the one that had just entered through the door. The new Harry was wearing a form fitting workout outfit with a towel draped about his neck hanging down across his chest on either side. Given the perspiration on his brow and body it was evident that he had been doing something rather strenuous just prior to joining them. "Hello Hermione, Harry," the new Harry said with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"Hey, Harry," the Harry next to Hermione said as he turned to regard her. "Merlin, I think we've managed to break her," he added upon seeing Hermione's mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out of it.

"Relax, Hermione," the Harry with the towel told her as he wiped his face. "I know all about the time paradox and meeting yourself or in this case, myself. The theory is that that if your past self, saw your future self, that your past self's mind wouldn't be able to handle it and you'd have a melt down on the spot or shortly thereafter thus by making it impossible for your future self to come back in time to see you."

"H…how…?" Hermione stammered looking from one Harry to other and back again. "How is this possible?"

Both Harrys gave an identical chuckle, earning them both a glare from the only witch currently present. "Why don't you explain it to her, Harry," the one with the towel suggested. "I need a shower really bad." Just before exiting through a different door than the one he had entered from that Harry turned and offered them both a smile. "Have fun you two and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Having said that, the towel wearing Harry turned and stepped through the door, closing it quickly behind him. They could both hear his hysterical laughter even through the closed door for some time.

"You know that sounded a lot funnier in my own head when I first thought it up," Harry offered her apologetically.

"I want answers, Potter!" Hermione barked rounding on the remaining Harry and waging a threatening finger at him. The young witch had finally regained control of her faculties once again now that the distraction of a sweaty Harry wearing skin tight gym shorts and a sweat wet tank plastered to his body was gone. "Explain to me what just happened."

"Alright," Harry acquiesced to her request as he held up his hands as if to fend off an attack. Given that he was the world's most fear hit wizard, it would have been comical under other circumstances; however the look in Hermione's eyes left no doubt to just how serious the young witch was at that moment. "It's fairly simple actually. That Harry," he said with a gesture to the one who had left and who they could still hear offering a barking laugh now and then through the closed door, "thought up the idea that I would be here at this moment."

"But that doesn't make sense," Hermione said as her brow creased in thought and she began to chew upon her bottom lips. "It can't be that simple," she said as she went over it in her head.

"Look," Harry said with an edge of excitement in his voice, "magic is all about intent. If his intent is that I'm here now then there is no reason it shouldn't work. When you conjure an item it is your intent that it should appear in front of you. You fully expect it to be there and so it is. I simply took that principal and applied it to time travel,' Harry offered with a dismissive shrug.

"So you convinced yourself that you would travel back in time to this very point and that you would see yourself with me?" Hermione enquired as the puzzle pieces slowly began to fall into place.

"Almost," Harry said. "I didn't want to freak you out so I convinced myself that my future self would appear in here with you while I was doing my daily workout in there."

"Because seeing two of you would freak me out so much less if one of you entered from another door?" Hermione huffed. "Why the portkey? Why not just come and get me and bring me back here? You could have explained it on the way even."

Harry's brow creased in thought for a long moment before he admitted a bit abashed by what he was about to confess, "Hadn't thought of that actually." The hit wizard tried not to cringe at the glare she directed at him. "Well, now that we've taken care of that shall we get on with our date?" he asked in a hopeful tone while glancing at his watch as if just now noticing what time it was.

"Date? So this is supposed to be a date then, Harry?" Hermione asked suddenly finding herself more than a little nervously. The young witch couldn't seem to find the richtcious anger she had felt just days before. Gone to were her plans to make him suffer and drool over her for the entire evening. Instead she found that once again she was hopeful that Harry really did truly love her as she loved him. Looking back it had almost always been that way between the two of them though. _I never could stay angry with him for long_. "What about him?" she asked gesturing towards the closed door behind which they had just heard another peel of laughter.

"Oh, good point, nearly forgot," the Harry with her said before he reached into his tuxedo and through an opening to beneath his shirt. A short moment and a flinch later he withdrew his hand and set a small pill shape item on the counter. "Tracking device," Harry explained upon noticing her quizzical look.

"So you can remove it whenever you want?" Hermione asked without thinking.

"I am a wizard after all," Harry replied in a slightly hurt tone of voice as if he couldn't believe she had even asked him that question.

"I take it your other self is here so that it appears that you haven't gone anywhere?" Hermione asked.

"Right in one!" a grinning Harry replied before taking on a more serious expression and addressing her in a formal tone of voice. "Ms. Granger, will you do me the pleasure of accompanying me this evening?" Harry asked as he proffered his hand towards her.

Hermione resisted the urge to make a comment about having finally learned proper manners someplace. Instead the young witch merely smiled softly, accepting his hand with a small curtsy. "I would be delighted, Mr. Potter."

Harry returned her smile while transferring her hand to the crock of his elbow before he side-along apparated the stunning witch and himself to their first destination. Hermione didn't need to be told where they were at. The building distinctive white walls and curved architecture made it easy to tell. The Guggenheim Museum, in New York City. Feeling Hermione's hands clutching his arm in excitement brought a wide smile to the wizards face. Not waiting to be led, Hermione tugged on Harry's captured arm, dragging him towards the museum's entrance.

The evening was not done there. They visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well. After that they had a late dinner at the Ritz-Carlton followed by a night of dancing at one of the local clubs that was catered more to adults their own age rather than the younger crowd. As the night wound down and the hours slipped from evening to early morning the pair found themselves walking through Central Park. A few Muggle-repelling charms and they didn't have to worry about the late night life in the park.

"The Met was absolutely amazing, Harry!" Hermione raved, leaning in and resting her head against his shoulder as she slipped her arms around his pulling them closer together. "Not that the Guggenheim wasn't spectacular in its own right," she was quick to clarify.

Harry chuckled softly at her words, happy that he could have done this for her. "There's one more thing I'd like to show you," Harry said as he slipped her hand from his arm and into his, entwining their fingers.

"Please don't say breakfast at Tiffany's, Harry," Hermione said in a petulant tone. "That's so cliché!"

"I would never do something such as that to you," Harry said with a look of utmost sincerity. "Merlin forbid and perish the very thought of it!" he teased theatrically, earning himself a swat upon his shoulder from the witch with her free hand.

"See that you never do, Mr. Potter!" Hermione told him in mock sternness as her almond eyes danced merrily. It had been a wonderful night, perhaps the best of her entire life. She truly didn't want it to end. Harry's hand in hers felt so wonderfully warm. There had been a couple of occasions throughout the night when she thought Harry was going to lean in and actually kiss her, but he hadn't, much to her disappointment. "So what now?"

"One last stop before I need to return you to your life," Harry told her just before he disapparated them away with only a faint _pop_ to mark their going.

Hermione gasped and instinctually grasped ahold of the wizard's arm with her free hand as her eyes threatened to bug out of her head. A cold wind blew causing her to shiver in the early morning air. The wizard beside her gestured once and a warming spell settled over her body allowing her to enjoy the spectacular view unimpeded. The New York City skyline stretched out below them, the bright canopy of sparkling lights, sights and sounds of the city that never slept on display as if it was there for them alone. In the east the first signs of light touched the horizon as day tentatively encroached upon the realm of night.

"It's gorgeous, Harry," Hermione said appreciatively as she stepped to the railing, unafraid of the heights due to the additional screening that was in place. "Are we on…," she started to ask.

"The top of the Empire State Building," Harry finished for her as he stepped around behind her and slipped his arms around her petite waist.

Hermione leaned back into his embrace contentedly as she watched the distant Eastern horizon. Harry had held her many times that evening while they had dance. He'd even held her hand as they walked through Central Park, but this was somehow different. It was almost magical! Here perched upon the top of the Empire State Building, watching the sunrise, the young witch could almost believe that they were the only two people in the entire world. Somehow she knew that were that to happen, as long as she had Harry next to her she'd be alright.

"Harry?" Hermione asked with the back of her head resting against his shoulder. "Whatever happened to those hit wizards in Miami?" She wasn't sure why that had just suddenly popped into her head but now that it had she couldn't help but ask.

Harry chuckled softly, his breath moist and warm across her ear. "It's just the two of us here all alone and that's what you want to know?" he queried, his tone humorous and disbelieving.

"I don't think we have enough time this morning for you to answer everything I want to know, Mr. Potter," Hermione replied in an equally humorous voice. "Agent Smith told me about them sending those hit wizards after you and no one has seen them since," she stated softly. "You didn't…kill them?"

"No," Harry answered. "I didn't kill them," he added. "I sent them someplace…," the wizard paused and when he finally continued Hermione could hear the laughter in his voice, almost as if he was recalling some kind of private joke, "…magical."

Hermione knew that he wouldn't lie to her so she chose not to pursue the matter. _If he said he didn't kill them then he didn't kill them_. Feeling slightly better, her mind turned to a new problem, namely to one holding her tightly. _Where do we go from here?_ , she couldn't help but wonder.

"I meant what I said before," Harry suddenly said softly, his eyes fixed upon the brightening horizon. The sky was like a painter's blank canvas, there were now however the faintest shades of pink slowly beginning to appear. "I love you, Hermione," he clarified as if sensing her confusion at his initial ambiguous comment.

"I love you to, Harry," Hermione was quick to confirm even as her heart seemed to do a summersault within her chest. Before her eyes the sky seemed to blush as the darkened distant horizon gave way to the encroachment of day. Night, the dark mistress who ever bowed and surrendered herself to the fiery heat of her lover, the day. "So, what happens now?" Hermione hazard to ask, feeling more like the darkness than the blossom dawn at that moment.

"I don't really know," Harry replied honestly after a heavy silence that hung between them for several long moments. The world's most feared Hit Wizard sighed heavily with regret and sorrow which were only coverings for the larger and more tangible emotion that he currently felt, fear. Harry had lost everyone he had ever allowed to get close to him. It was for that very reason that he had started to keep everyone at arm's length. If he didn't let them in they wouldn't get killed.

Luna had once told him that as he possessed the three Hollows that he was the Master of Death itself, a fact she had learned from her father. While he didn't believe that for a second, he soon came to believe that Death did follow him wherever he went. Even before the attack on the Weasley's he had begun to feel that he was not only a magnet for trouble but also for Death, no matter how much he wished he wasn't. Here in his arms was not only the one last good thing left in his life but the very best of everything he had ever known.

"Will you come back to Australia with me?" Hermione asked, already guessing what his answer would be.

"I can't," Harry replied in a thick voice. "Not yet," he added softly.

"When?" she dared to ask, hoping all the while that there would be a when. Before their eyes the blush of pink was being pushed back to be replaced by soft subtle shades of magenta and orange as the dawn pushed back the night.

"When it's finally over," he told her, wishing fervently that he had something more definitive to give her.

Hermione turned in his embrace to face him, her arms folded between them with her hands splayed across his chest as she stared into his eye. "There will be an end to it?" she asked almost beseechingly, desperate for an answer that would give her some hope of a future with the man she loved.

Harry nodded slightly, finding himself getting lost in the large watery almond eyes before him. "There are only two left," he told her, not feeling it was important that she know their names. _She doesn't need to know that it's Yaxley and Dolohov. The important thing is that of the twelve, ten have been dealt with already_ , he thought to himself.

"And then?" Hermione pressed, her eyes hungrily searching his face for a favorable answer.

"I'll find you," he told her. "No matter where you are I'll find you. I will come for you, Hermione," he tried to assure her with his words as well as the feelings he held for her in his heart. Desperately he fought to keep the gnawing fear at bay that something terrible would happen to her just as it had with everyone else. While he believed that he should have kept his distance, with her there in his arms he couldn't bring himself to do it. Harry realized that he needed her.

"Promise me, Harry," Hermione asked in barely a whisper. "Promise me you'll come back to me," she asked. She needed to hear him say it. She needed to know that he would. The logical side of her could understand how he was honor, as well as magically, bound to fulfill the requirements of the unbreakable vow he had made to Dean Thomas, however the part of her that was her emotional side, that of her heart, needed to know that should she let him go he would in fact come back to her.

Harry stared into her eyes for a long moment before giving her everything she needed, everything he could at that point in time. "I promise," he whispered to her just before his lips captured hers in a tender kiss. Behind them the first rays of the sun broke the horizon and shown upon the lone witch and wizard locked in loves tender embrace as they shared their first kiss.

How long they stood there oblivious to all else but each other neither knew or cared. Eventually though, almost by mutual agreement, their lips parted leaving them both panting heavily but smiling happily at finally having achieved what they had both wanted for some time. The two of them turned slightly and stared at the risen sun, neither sorry for having missed the sunrise Harry had brought them there to see. There was a promise of a future that would hold other sunrises which they could share together. It was a promise of something they both knew they would fight to keep.

The two of them went and ate breakfast together, talking mostly about their time at Hogwarts. While they walked once more through Central Park, arm in arm this time, they spoke about the Weasley's and shed tears for their missing friend Ronald as well as their adopted second family. As the time approached noon Harry apparated them back to his place where he picked up the forgotten basketball and led her into a room that was clearly his bedroom. "It's timed to return you to your home," he informed her of upon seeing her eye the basketball in his hand.

Hermione glanced about before turning back to face Harry with a coy smile on her face. "Presumptuous of you, Potter?" she asked implying playfully that he brought her there to his room to bed her on their first date.

"Better that than risk harming that wonderfully brilliant mind of yours should you happen to see yourself in the other room right about now," Harry told her, even though his cheeks brightened slightly at her words. "I really would prefer not to come back to a vegetable if at all possible."

"I'm going to hold you to your promise, Mr. Potter," Hermione told him as she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him one last time.

"You wouldn't be the woman I love if you didn't," Harry replied after the kiss ended, a small crooked smile appearing upon his lips.

"You say that like it's a good thing," Hermione teased.

"It is!" Harry replied as the smile spread across his face. "A very good thing!"

Hermione accepted the basketball from him, almost reluctantly when a sudden thought occurred to her. "Harry, how did you manage to get all those photos of me? I'm fairly certain that there was no camera present when we first met on the Hogwarts Express."

Harry chuckled before he replied. "Think about it. I'm sure you'll figure it out, Hermione."

The witch in question opened her mouth to speak but before she could she felt the all too familiar sensation of the portkey activating. When the world had righted itself once more she was once again within her room. Downstairs she could hear her parents talking softly. With a heavy heart she started to get ready for bed, all the while thinking about what Harry had said to her.

"The only ones present that first year when I opened the door to the last compartment was Harry, Ron and myself," she said aloud, hoping that by hearing herself say it she might jog something loose. "By rights then only the three of us would know what actually happened and what was said." The bright witch clearly recalled that the image of her in the moving photo had acted and mouthed the exact same words as she had that day.

"But how can that be?" she asked herself yet again. "None of us had a camera so there shouldn't even be a picture of it. That image shouldn't exist anyplace other than….," it was as if a light bulb as radiant as the sun had suddenly lit up above her head, "…in our memories!" she finally finished after a long pause. "Harry has figured out how to transpose memories into moving images," she realized, taking the next logical leap with her current train of thought.

Hermione's knees suddenly felt week, causing her to drop heavily upon her bed. "That's bloody brilliant!" she said in a tone filled with awe and wonder. Her bright mind already had any number of applications within law enforcement for such a breakthrough. "Think of the testimony that can be taken as a moving picture rather than a memory strand!" Pensieves were still, even after all this time, extremely rare, very expensive as well as hard to come by.

Hermione's thoughts suddenly froze as she thought of all of the photos within the book that Harry had given to her and her parents. "H…he was there," she realized as her bottom lip started to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. "He's always been there," her mind balked at that revelation as it tried to process it and failed miserably. "Harry was with me all this time. My own personal Guardian Angel. Harry never left me," she said in the softest of whispers. "Oh Harry," she breathed out ethereally even as the first teardrop fell from her eyes and her heart ached for the wizard she loved dearly.

**-oOo-**

"Alright you lot," Dave Howards yelled to get everyone's attention in the meeting room. "Now management expects this year to be even busier than last year," he told them earnestly. _They are a good lot_ , he realized, _many have been working here for nearly a decade without a lick of trouble from any of them._ Most had families and little ones which they brought to work every now and then. _Their good lads_ , Dave thought with pride.

"Does that mean more hours?" called out one of the men in the back. "Bobby is taking up baseball this year and the equipment costs are just outrageous. I could use a bit of overtime, mate!" Several others in the room murmured and nodded their heads in agreement, being in similar situations.

Howards held up his hands to quiet them down. "I can't make any promises now as you know, however," he quickly added to forestall the groans, "If you get in a pickle you can always come to me and I'll do what I can for you." Dave saw a few nods of appreciation and waited a minute before he continued.

"As you all know, Smythe will be moving up into a new management position in a few months," the groups manager had to pause again for a good natured round of applause and several shouts to ' _not forget the little man when he was running the place_ '. Jacob Smythe, for his part took it all in stride, a bit embarrassed by all the attention and fuss.

"Human Resources has seen fit to send us over a replacement," Dave continued with once they had settled down again. "I'd like to introduce you to Bernard. He'll be starting with us as of today," Howards informed them of as he motioned to a guy sitting up front who stood and gave them a friendly nod and smile. "Smythe, I'd like you to take him under your wing and show him the ropes."

The meeting soon broke up and Smythe came over to collect the new guy. "Where ya from?" he asked as he led Bernard to the employee locker room to show him where everything was.

"London," was Bernard's quick reply with the expected ascent as well. "Think I prefer the weather here in Orlando though," he added with a grin.

"Well, if you have any questions, my names Jacob. You can call me Smythe as well, I answer to either of them."

"You'll have to call him Sir, soon enough," one of the others called out with a grin. "Now that he's going to be management and all."

"No, just you Renalds!" Smythe shot back good naturedly, earning a round of laughter from the others present. The senior employee led Bernard out through the employee's gate and maneuvered his way through the massive crowds like a pro.

Bernard found it hard to keep up with Smythe without jostling the customers. In the distance he could hear the beginnings of a catchy tune that was being played. It was childish but had a nice sound to it. "Nice tune," he ventured to say.

Jacobs laughed upon hearing his words. "You say that now but just wait till you've heard it a few thousand times!" Seeing the look of disbelief on Bernard's face the senior man added, "Just wait till you awake in the middle of the night with ' _It's a small world after all_ ' echoing nonstop in your head!"

**~Fin~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Well, there you have it. I realize that some (many?) may not like the ending exactly as Hermione and Harry aren't exactly 'together' together. I wanted to leave it open for the possibility of a follow-on story, maybe even two, considering there are still two people on Harry's list.
> 
> Many thanks for the Kudos and comments as they mean a great deal to those of us who write here!
> 
> Kind Regards,
> 
> EJ Daniels


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